KINGFIELD — Voters approved all 42 warrant articles June 7 at the annual town meeting held at Kingfield Elementary School, including the full administrative and public works budgets and a variety of community support appropriations and capital improvement projects.
The meeting opened with recognition of Clyde “Clint” Knapp Jr., to whom the 2024 annual town report was dedicated in honor of his 50 years of service on the Budget Committee. The report praised Knapp’s “contributions of ideas, energy and enthusiasm” as invaluable to the town.
On June 6, voters reelected three unopposed candidates by secret ballot: Hunter Lander [52 votes] and Christopher Rushton [55 votes] returned to the Select Board, while Brad Oberton [55 votes] retained his seat on the MSAD 58 board of directors.
Article 8, which proposed a $392,130 administrative budget, was the subject of debate after a motion to cut 10%, or $48,213, was introduced. Despite initial passage of the amendment by a 30–21 vote, voters ultimately approved the article at the full amount.
“If you want to lower each budget item by 10%, something is going to suffer,” said Select Board Chair Wade Browne. “Crosswalks and painting, that’s nine thousand dollars,” he said. “That will probably not happen. We have been looking for a public works person since last year. Winter is coming, and we need a person soon. We need to increase wages to get a person to come work for us here in Kingfield.”
Browne explained that unused health savings account funds contributed to a surplus. “If it doesn’t get used, it stays in the kitty until next year,” Browne said.
A resident asked what would the mil rate be if the budget passed as it was being proposed. Town Manager Leanna Ross Targett said that the proposed mil rate, if all articles passed, would be 3.75, resulting in $375 in property taxes on a $100,000 home.
Browne reminded residents that “the school is over half of your taxes” and addressed the need for revaluation: “We are trying to put money away to reevaluate the whole town. If you think for one minute your taxes will go down from that, that is not going to happen. There is a lot of things in this town that is not being valued at what they are being sold for. That is crazy.”
Voters also approved Article 16, maintaining the full $504,966 for the public works budget, after rejecting a proposed cut to $474,866 [16 in favor, 31 opposed].
Other notable appropriations passed include:
• $81,400 for the Fire Department [Article 12]
• $504,004 for Municipal Services [Article 20]
• $135,072 for Kingfield’s share of Transfer Station operations [Article 21]
• $389,350 and $90,100 in bond payments for road reconstruction and sidewalk lighting projects, respectively [Articles 31 and 33]
• $25,000 for the Village Enhancement Capital Improvements Fund [Article 32]
Voters also supported contributions from TIF revenue to local organizations and community efforts, including:
• $5,000 for Kingfield Festival Days [Article 23]
• $5,000 for the Kingfield Historical Society [Article 24]
• $10,000 each for Kingfield Quad Runners and Kingfield SnoWanderers [Articles 26 and 27]
• $6,000 for Maine’s Northwestern Mountains [Article 28]
• $10,000 for the United Economic Ministry [Article 29]
• $15,000 for the Webster Library [Article 30]
The final articles approved included authorization for the Select Board to accept and expend state and federal grant funds, dispose of tax-acquired property, and amend the town’s Tax Increment Financing District Development Program.
