HARPSWELL

Officials may schedule a public hearing to weigh the town’s share of Curtis Memorial Library’s annual operating budget.

Selectmen will consider the hearing during their meeting tonight.

Harpswell’s share for 2013 is just shy of $124,000, and will be voted on March 9 during the annual Town Meeting.

Historically, Harpswell has paid 10 percent of the total municipal cost of Curtis Memorial Library’s budget, while host community Brunswick paid the balance of 90 percent.

It’s a favorable deal, considering that Harpswell accounted for 17.2 percent of the library’s patronage in 2012, according to library Executive Director Elisabeth Doucett.

Recent negotiations have made it even better: For fiscal years 2013 and 2014, the town’s share will be tied to the annual cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, as figured by the U.S. Social Securi- ty Administration, plus 2 percent.

This year, according to the town’s website, the appropriation is $123,904 — equal to the 2012 share of $119,484 multiplied by the 1.7 percent adjustment ($2,031), plus 2 percentage points ($2,390).

It’s a good deal for the town but is still likely to generate discussion, said Elinor Multer, chairwoman of the Harpswell Board of Selectmen.

“Like all money items, it requires a vote of the populace,” Multer said. “The library issue has caused significant debate on the floor of Town Meeting.

“Over the years, we’ve had some mighty long debates and it always seemed that, when everything was through, it ended up just as it was before (talking started). So the town decided to put it on the ballot, and every third year we’d let it be debated on the floor.”

Although she expects the yearly expenditure to pass without any trouble, “this just happens to be the year for debate,” Multer said.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the town office.

jtleonard@timesrecord.com

The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu