Voters to decide on local issues, spending plans
One of the most contended proposals is on Falmouth's ballot: turning two schools into a community center.One of the most contended proposals is on Falmouth's ballot: turning two schools into a community center.
By Kelley Bouchard kbouchard@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
From Kennebunk to Freeport, voters in many southern Maine communities will go to the polls Tuesday to decide a variety of local referendum questions, consider multimillion-dollar school budgets and elect town councilors, selectmen and school board members.
CONTESTED MUNICIPAL AND SCHOOL RACES
ARUNDEL: Thomas Danylik and Michael Drew are running for a selectman's seat; Leia Lowery and Diane Robbins are running for a seat on the RSU 21 school board.
CUMBERLAND: Michael Edes, Thomas Gruber Jr. and Sally Leavitt are running for one Town Council seat.
FALMOUTH: Jonathan Berry, Patricia Kirby, Chris Orestis and Teresa Pierce are running for two Town Council seats; Jan Andrews, Michael Doyle, Karyl Hazard, Analiese Larson, Eydie Pryzant and Lucy Tucker are running for three School Board seats.
KENNEBUNK: Brad Huot and Edward Karytko are running for a one-year term on the RSU 21 school board; Robert Higgins, Kevin Knight and Arthur LeBlanc III are running for a three-year term on the school board.
KENNEBUNKPORT: Alicia Kellett and Maureen King are running for a seat on the RSU 21 school board.
NORTH YARMOUTH: Mark Girard, Darla Hamlin and Andrew Walsh are running for two selectmen's seats.
YARMOUTH: Randall Bates, Mark Hough, Leslie Hyde, Andrew Kittredge, James Macleod and William Schaffer are running for three Town Council seats; Margaret Groban, J. Philip Jones and Judiann Smith are running for two School Committee seats.
Falmouth voters face one of the most contentious ballot issues: whether to redevelop the Plummer-Motz and Lunt elementary schools into a community center and public library. The schools will soon be vacant because the town has built a new elementary school, set to open this fall.
Supporters say the proposal is a chance of lifetime to create a "town campus" in a community that lacks a distinct town center. Opponents have a variety of concerns: whether it's an appropriate use of town funds; whether the buildings should be sold, and whether the library needs to double in size.
The referendum calls for converting Motz into a community center, renovating Lunt into a new home for the Falmouth Memorial Library and fixing up Plummer to be leased to a private group or company.
The $5.65 million project would be financed with $1.5 million from the town's reserve funds; $1.25 million to be raised by library trustees; and money to be generated from the sale of several town properties, including the current library, Pleasant Hill Fire Station and land behind the schools.
Falmouth voters also will consider a $26.2 million school budget and a $1.2 million bond referendum to install a wood boiler at Falmouth Middle School.
Cumberland voters will decide whether to ban commercial gravel operations in rural residential neighborhoods following a recent controversy over excavation in West Cumberland.
The town halted a gravel operation in September on land owned by Elvin and Randy Copp on Upper Methodist Road because excavation was being done without proper permits. The Town Council imposed a six-month moratorium on new gravel pit applications in November, then extended it through June to allow for the referendum.
Neighbors and others gathered more than 600 signatures to get the question on the ballot. It's the first citizen-initiated referendum to change an ordinance in the town's history.
If the referendum fails, the council will consider an ordinance change that would restrict gravel operations through contract zoning.
Cumberland and North Yarmouth voters will consider a $28.9 million budget for School Administrative District 51, which includes North Yarmouth. They'll also vote on a proposal to close the Drowne Road Elementary School in Cumberland, which now serves third-graders.
The district's board of directors voted last year to close Drowne and move third-graders to the Mabel Wilson School in Cumberland. It would cost $481,000 per year to keep Drowne open, according to the ballot question.
Voters in the three towns that make up Regional School Unit 5 -- Freeport, Durham and Pownal -- will consider borrowing $3 million to build a stadium complex at Freeport High School. It would feature an eight-lane track surrounding a synthetic-turf field with lights, bleachers, a press booth and concessions.
RSU 5 voters also will consider the district's $23.9 million school budget.
Kennebunk voters face 21 referendum questions, many of them related to the municipal budget and zoning ordinance. They'll also consider borrowing $600,000 for improvements to the Lower Village, including new sidewalks, curbing, lighting and benches.
Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel voters will consider a $35.6 million budget for Regional School Unit 21.
Gorham voters will decide whether to borrow $3 million to make improvements to Narragansett Elementary School and build a multipurpose stadium with a synthetic-turf field at routes 25 and 202. They'll also vote on a $31.2 million school budget.
Windham and Raymond voters will consider a $37.2 million budget for Regional School Unit 14. Yarmouth voters will decide on a $19.3 million school budget.
And voters in Buxton, Hollis, Limington, Standish and Frye Island will consider a $42.3 million budget for School Administrative District 6.
Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at:
kbouchard@pressherald.com
I am voting for Tom Danylik. Sometimes change isn't the best choice. Tom has always made decisions for the town that are in the best interest of the town. I am also voting for Diane Robbins tomorrow. Diane is very involved with town government, and will make sure that she also makes decisions that are in the best interest of the town.
ReplyDeleteI am going to vote for Tom too...however I am also going to vote for Lowrey. She at least supports education...have you not been to all the town meetings in the past 30 years where Dianne Robbins has continually asked for cuts to education, cuts to our town? I can't support someone who has no vision for our kids or our future.
ReplyDeleteWow person number one...I can be angry at the RSU, but I can't take it out on our kids by voting for Robbins....people who do that are cutting their nose off to spite their face.
ReplyDeleteI will be voting for Diane Robbins, at least she hasn't turned her back on the town.
ReplyDeleteDiane Robbins does not support the town or the schools. She just wants to cut anything she possibly can, at any cost, to lower taxes. She does not have the best interest of the people or the children who live in this town. She was put out there as a front for people who do not care about elementary education in our town. K-5 needs a good education NOT just 6-12!!!
ReplyDeleteMy vote will be for Leia Lowery. She wants to educate the kids AND look out for our town!!!!
Well the vote turn out tells otherwise! Have a wonderful evening! Thank you Diane for giving your heart and soul to the town. I know that you will have some creative ideas in bringing the cost of education down.
ReplyDeleteThe vote turnout was horrible. Half of the number of voters showed up as compared to the May vote, when the only reason to vote was to prevent the contract buyout. (And let's not pretend otherwise, please)
ReplyDeleteIf Arundel citizens were as concerned with their tax dollars as they were afraid that TAMS would close, they'd have voted yes on the budget and the cost sharing proposal on May 24.
Now that the budget has passed, 1.2M has been spread around to give back minimal tax relief for *one year*.
The dismal voting rate and divisiveness with the previous vote are a very bright light; we all as Arundel citizens get to look forward to tax hikes for the next several years, as well as no middle school choice, and whatever circus side show becomes of the board, when those who are newly elected go in their with their anti-district personal agendas.
All I have to say is 'God help us all'.
I can't believe this town wants to move forward by taking two steps backwards. I want to see a published plan for how they expect to run our school system on our own or worse with another town that is doing just as poorly. I feel sorry for all the citizens who fell for the misleading, untruthful, phone calls that said that our taxes were going to go up by 50% if they vote yes. Our school budget this year and next is still LESS than what it was when Arundel was on their own...what were you thinking?
ReplyDeleteThey were led to believe that TAMS would close if 15 students were to head to MSK. I had a face-to-face meeting with the individual responsible for not reassuring the parents of his school that this wouldn't happen.
ReplyDeleteHis excuse was that he 'didn't want to get in the middle of it'. Not a professional, not compassionate, and certainly not interested in the education (or lack of quality, as it stands); it's all about the almighty dollar.
I wonder how heavily TAMS will recruit when enrollment numbers begin declining over the next year or so.
Arundel voters, you were scammed BIG TIME. Next year, thanks to your overwhelming support of TAMS instead of choice, and because you shot down the cost sharing proposal, our taxes will go up. Who do you have to 'thank'? Take a good long look in the mirror.
$500K, which is all that's left in the undesignated fund, won't do anything for tax relief next year, folks.
You'll pardon me, but taxes are going up, no matter which way people vote. If it's not the TAMS buyout, it will be the mega-million-dollar new facility/repair proposals, including that 600 seat performing arts center, new athletic facilities, and every other thing KHS wants to compete with TA.
ReplyDeleteThose who felt the TAMS buyout was a bad deal were entitled to vote the way they wanted.
Taxes are going to go up unless the board takes a new direction, and stops looking at the public as a walking wallet.
I agree once again with Naran! Post at 10:06, 11:24 and 1:12 are not condusive to having any form of productive conversation. Democracy is a beautiful thing, and when comments are made like those it shuts people off, turns them away, and only adds fuel to the fire. So very sad that many posts on these pages are bashing, as another stated, "kindness, dignity and respect," It is really not that hard to do. What ever happened to just being a good person? I will thank myself every day when I look in the mirror for making and informed, balanced decision by voting NO. Taxes are going to go up, TAMS buy-out or not. The no voters are just someone to point the finger at. We are all entitled to our vote, and the anger and hostility has to end. Unity has caused boundaries, nobody feels safe with the opinion they have because they are going to be harassed, and bullied because it is not equal to the others. This is not high school people. The walking wallet is a very true statement, I wish I had the money tree growing in my backyard. A while ago there was a PPH article recognizing the top high performing and cost effective schools, RSU 21 was not on the list. An analogy: If you keep spending money on the lemon (Car) that continuelly breaks down and the repairs are so overwheling to the wallet, eventually you get the new(er) car, and give up on the lemon. If other communities are doing it, so can we. Food for thought. (1)
ReplyDelete