HARPSWELL: Voters want town to leave SAD 75

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By Melanie Creamer Maine Sunday Telegram

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Voters approved an estimated $4 million municipal budget Saturday at the annual town meeting.

In the secret ballot, residents voted 466-211 in favor of beginning to withdraw from School Administrative District 75. Residents also voted 471-217 to raise $108,378 for Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick.

About 539 residents attended.

A proposal to extend the town's growth management ordinance for one year failed. Residents also defeated a proposed shoreland zoning ordinance involving the expansion of nonconforming structures.

Voters rejected three proposals to use the international building code model. Town Administrator Kristi Eiane said the residents found the codes to be inappropriate for Harpswell.

The budget represents a 9.1 percent increase from last year's allocation. Some of the items approved include $391,500 for snow removal, $75,500 for road maintenance and $3,000 for street signs.

Residents voted to spend $259,657 for law enforcement, $165,132 for marine patrol and $93,151 for cultural and recreation programs. Eiane said the meeting consisted of respectful discussion and vigorous debate.

"The meeting went fairly well. I thought there was very good discussion between the voters that were present," Eiane said.

Residents voted to contribute $50,000 to the Holbrook Foundation, which was created to preserve the working waterfront at Cundy's Harbor.

Reader comments

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ljd of Harpswell, ME

Mar 11, 2007 10:59 AM

I would like to see verification of the news report. If the article was approved, we voted to TERMINATE the withdrawal procedure. Referendum reads "Shall the authority granted by a previous petition and vote to begin the process of withdrawal from SAD 75 including the authorization to raise and spend money on said withdrawal process, be terminated." I would like to see official result from town office proving this report.

Curaigh of Harpswell, ME

Mar 11, 2007 10:29 AM

What a shame. At a time when Maine is trying to consolidate education, 466 voters in Harpswell want to go in the opposite, very costly, direction.

And to vote to give the Beautiful People supporting the Holbrook's wharf fiasco any tax payer money, not to mention $50,000, is absolutely insane.

In Harpswell, like many other small Maine towns, I think it's time to replace the town meeting with voting at November elections.

This vote proves that the limousine liberals, not working people, are making very expensive decisions that may forever change the character of Harpswell as they have done in many other Maine coastal villages.

Sam of Topsham, ME

Mar 11, 2007 8:04 AM

Interesting that, of the about 539 attending, they could come up with vote totals of, 688 and 689. Must be that some of those transplants used to be Chicago voters.

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