By Renee Worthing
Staff Writer
 

“The proposed budget is a blueprint for how we want the town to look,” Town Council Chairman Joe Hanslip said as Sanford’s annual Town Meeting commenced on May 27. “It’s a responsible budget.”
Hanslip cited many projects are moving forward and said he hoped Town Meeting members would approve the budget recommended by the finance committee.
He said the capital improvement plan included the construction of a larger salt shed and the purchase of land for a new police station. Hanslip described the current station as “terrible condition, outdated and beyond renovation” and a “lawsuit waiting to happen.”
During the debate, members cited fears of a faltering economy and rising fuel prices. The $54.3 million combined municipal and school budget recommended by the finance committee was approved by 69 Town Meeting members in attendance after four hours of contentious debate.
Ward 4 Town Meeting Member Ray Sargent said some of the proposed projects in the budget “seem like good things to do on the surface, but later may be better.”
He said he received several calls from citizens expressing concern about the economy and approval of a budget that would result in higher taxes.
“People in Sanford are scared,” Sargent said. “They are wondering, ‘Can I [afford to] live in Sanford anymore?’”
Sargent made numerous motions to reduce the warrant articles to the current level of appropriations. All of the motions failed, but Sargent said he would vote “no” on all increases.
However, all 47 articles of the Town Meeting Warrant passed, an action which will raise the mil rate 43 cents to $15.11, a 2.98 percent increase from last year.
Some of the articles passed quickly, while others brought meeting members to the microphone.
Article 4 asked voters to raise and appropriate $3.5 million for the fire department, but Ward 5 Town Meeting Member Susan Cote said tough economic times are causing a ripple effect all the way down to the registers at the grocery store and she was against the 3.1 percent increase for the fire department.
Town Councilor Alan Walsh said the $100,000 increase was not unrealistic for the fire department with diesel prices now more than $4 per gallon.
Sanford Fire Chief Ray Parent said he can’t control utilities, fuel prices and the need for building maintenance. He said if the recommendation by the finance committee was not approved, his only option would be to make cuts in personnel, a part of the budget that was already down 2 percent from last year.
The article passed by a majority voice vote.
Article 13 asked the voters to authorize a $1.3 million bond to build a salt shed, fund a fuel farm and taxiway at the Sanford Regional Airport, pay for improvements to town buildings and purchase a parcel of property for a new police station.
The bond, which will be issued in the fall, will be paid back over a 15-year period at an interest rate of 4.79 percent, bringing the total cost of the bond to $1.8 million.
Funding for a new police station met opposition from some Town Meeting members. Sanford Finance Committee Chairman David Nickerson said the numbers “seemed large, but the town was not investing enough in infrastructure.”
Ward 6 Town Meeting Member Marge Trowbridge supported the proposed bond and Roland Cote agreed.
“I feel very strongly that we need a new police station for a lot of reasons. I’m hurting (financially) too, but cut elsewhere,” Cote said.
Ward 6 Town Meeting member Bob Stackpole said bond interest rates are declining and property values are down.
 “We can afford it and the time to do it is now,” Stackpole said.
Article 14 sought $6.2 million in fall 2009 for the construction of the police department. About $5.5 would be used to finance the construction of the standalone police station. The remainder would be designated for a trash compactor for public works and improvements to the town hall building.
Paul Auger, Ward 6, spoke in support of the police station.
“I have to agree with the critics,” Auger said. “This is not the time to build this police station. The time was in 1990.”
Auger said in a year or two construction costs will “go through the roof” and said building a new police station could save the town money.
“We have a great baseball stadium,” Auger said. “We should, at least, have a good police department.”
Sanford Police Chief Thomas Connolly said he was “thrilled” both articles pertaining to a new police department passed.
“One of my challenges is letting the officers know the people appreciate them,” he said. “Now they know {how the public feels] with what happened tonight.”
He said in the tough economic times, he appreciated everyone’s concerns, but a new police station will add value to the town and boost morale in the department officers.
Unlike in previous years, the 20 articles relating to the school budget were read separately rather than lumped together.
Town Meeting members unanimously approved the proposed $32.8 million Sanford school budget, a 1.1 percent increase from last year.
Article 42 required a “yes” or “no” secret ballot vote and asked:
“Shall the district raise and appropriate $55,963 in additional local funds, which exceeds the states Essential Programs and Services allocation model by $55,963 as required to fund the budget recommended by the Board of Directors?” was answered affirmatively by 75 Town Meeting members and 8 ballots were counted as “no.”
Following the new school consolidation laws, Sanford will move on to the second phase of the school budget approval process June 5 when registered voters will decide a binding referendum on one question – “Do you favor approving the Sanford school budget for the upcoming school year that was adopted at the latest Sanford school budget meeting?”
If voters approve the budget, it will become Sanford’s fiscal year budget beginning July 1. If the referendum does not pass, however the finance committee and school department will return to the table to tweak the budget.