WELD — The annual town meeting is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 8, at the town hall.
Voters will consider accepting a $5,000 donation in lieu of taxes that would provide residents with seasonal passes to Maine state parks, whether private events may be held at the town hall or multi-purpose use room at the Town Office/Post Office Complex and several budget articles.
The Franklin Journal spoke with Selectman Chair Richard Doughty Monday evening, Feb. 24, to learn more about the articles voters will take up.
One article seeks to accept an annual $5,000 donation in lieu of taxes from the George and Raymond Frank Foundation [Camp Kawhanee] for a program to provide residents with seasonal passes to Maine state parks. “The foundation obtained tax exempt status last year, no longer pays taxes to the town,” Doughty indicated. “They wanted to do something for the town. Their board offered to contribute money to the town to set up a fund to purchase state passes for any resident that wanted one.”
Another article deals with allowing private events at either the town hall or the multi purpose room in the Town Office/Post Office Complex. Doughty said there have not been any issues in the past. “One of our Select Board
members has been very rigorous about making sure that the things we do are done properly,” he noted. “Weld Historical Society had asked about being able to serve alcohol at an event last summer. Dina [Walker] researched that, determined that the Select Board could independently make the decision about whether or not liquor could be served, but the town had to vote to allow any private events in the town hall. We hadn’t previously done that. Maine Municipal Association advised her that we needed to.”
Most of the increases for wages and stipends to be determined for town employees are because of cost of living adjustments, Doughty said. “There was a suggestion made at Budget Committee meetings that we increase the stipend for the fire chief and the assistant fire chief that was supported,” he noted. If voters agree, the fire chief stipend will go from $1,807 to $3,000 while the assistant would change from $1,276 to $2,000.
Another article deals with a proposed revaluation that would start in 2027, be completed in 2028. General government has added $5,000 to establish an account for it. Doughty noted the last revaluation was more than 10 years ago.
“It had been proposed at town meeting for two or three years in a row before the town finally did go along with it,” he said. “The proposal from John O’Donnell Associates, our current assessor is $104,880. Initially, the Budget Committee had proposed putting $35,000 towards it this year, but the town is in a difficult situation financially.”
Weld sustained significant damage in the December 2023 storm and a FEMA grant to make repairs was approved but the funds aren’t paid until after the work is done, Doughty said. “The town voted at a special town meeting to take $244,000 from surplus to buy gravel to make those repairs,” he noted. “That means that we’re pretty short of cash.”
Doughty said the town had been told the check would be sent in February, but it hasn’t arrived. “The committee just wasn’t comfortable allocating those funds until we actually have them,” he noted. “They reduced their request for the reevaluation, and also they eliminated monies that would go into our reserve funds or equipment and building capital improvement funds. The thought was that if the FEMA money comes in later in the year, we’d still have to increase taxes if we raise those funds.”
If voters approve proposed budget figures, the budget for this year would be $758,952 which is a decrease of $229,660 from the $988,612 approved last year. Most of the 23.23% decrease is from the money approved for flood-damaged roads, Doughty said.
“The Recreation Committee has been very successful fundraising and indicated that they didn’t need any funding this year,” Doughty stated. “They actually returned $1,000 to the town of the $4,000 allocated to them to operate during 2024.”
Doughty did not seek reelection to the Select Board this year. “There’s been a lot going on,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed being a selectman. I appreciate the support that I’ve gotten over the years, but it’s time to let someone else do it.”
