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Sunday, March 18, 2007

Residents who attended the annual town meeting Saturday agreed to override the property-tax limit by $15,0871.

First Assessor Jo Dunphy said 12 of the 43 registered voters attended the meeting at the old Town House. The meeting lasted an hour and a half.

"We had a tough group today,"ÝDunphy said. "They wanted to be there."

With the override, the plantation now has a municipal budget of $62,260.

There was a huge increase in the schools budget, from $18,108 in tuition fees to $83,762. The community now has nine students instead of four, and it budgeted for 10 as a precautionary measure, Dunphy said.

Voters added $500 to meet handicapped-accessibility mandates at the Town House.

"It's an old one-room school, and we've been refurbishing it," Dunphy said. "We've purchased portable ramps, and now we want to install a new door."

During elections, Frances Sieber agreed to serve a three-year term on the School Committee. Sieber had taken the position for one year to fill an unexpired term.

Dunphy, Lisa Poulin and Jodie Dunphy remain as assessors. Patricia Dunphy is the town clerk/treasurer and Diane Emery agreed to another term as tax collector.

- Blethen Maine News Service