ARROWSIC

Voters approved a $233,091 municipal budget at Arrowsic’s Town Meeting on Wednesday, for a combined total budget of $820,710 for fiscal year 2014-15.

The adopted municipal budget shows an increase of $4,347 more than last year’s budget of $228,744. The combined municipal, county and school budgets, however, show a decrease of $24,595 from last year’s total combined budget of $845,305.

The majority of articles on the 58-article town warrant passed with minimal or no discussion, though debate arose over the town’s sponsorship of The Arrow, Arrowsic’s quarterly newspaper, an ordinance to create an Education Committee and the town’s legal line relating to an ongoing lawsuit with West Bath over Regional School Unit 1’s cost-sharing formula.

Residents passed a $9,000 budget line for administrative expenses, which included website and The Arrow expenses for the 2014-15 fiscal year, in addition to bank service, postage, printing, training and other charges.

This article passed an increase of $500 more than last year’s requested amount, and an increase of $850 above the amount actually expended last year for these administrative costs.

“We made some changes to the way the town is communicating this year,” said selectman Bill Savedoff. “We’re trying to rely more on the (town) website and we’ve created an email list (that sends out notifications.)”

It was costing the town approximately $250 to send out The Arrow to residents, Savedoff said, and with a list of people now receiving it via email that expense has been reduced to approximately $40.

A resident identified as Karen noted that until 2009 The Arrow was listed in the Town Warrant as an independent publication and funds for it were raised under an article that addressed appropriations for nonprofit organizations.

“I was wondering … why that year it ended up as part of our administrative town expenses,” she said, instead of being maintained as an independent publication. “My understanding was that it was always a private publication and not a voice of the town officials.”

“It was difficult for us to find someone who wanted to take on The Arrow as a private voice for the town,” said Selectman Michele Gaillard.

“When articles of interest or photographs or poems, or any other submissions” are received, said Quinn Blaiklock, editor of The Arrow, “all of those get equal say in The Arrow. I am the compiler, and everything that is coming to me actually gets put in The Arrow. There is no screening process for what goes in.”

Residents also voted to adopt an ordinance establishing a five-member Education Committee to “address the diverse educational needs of Arrowsic Residents,” as stated in the ordinance.

“There are … educational issues for town residents that aren’t directly related to RSU 1, and there are issues with RSU 1 that the selectboard needs information on,” said Savedoff, to assess the performance of the school unit.

A school committee existed in Arrowsic prior to 2008 and unification in RSU 1, Savedoff said, and the board decided that it was worthwhile to establish a standing committee, with three-year term seats, rather than an ad hoc committee.

A resident questioned whether it was necessary to pass an ordinance for the establishment of the committee, when the selectmen are authorized to establish such a committee without the passage of an ordinance.

“I intend to vote for this … I think it’s important to formalize the committee,” said a resident identified as David. “It takes it out of the hands of the selectmen,” he said, adding that he wanted to be assured that the committee wasn’t authorized to be representative of the town.

The article stated that the committee’s duties will be to promote the educational experiences of students, oversee town interests related to the education of residents, evaluate the performance of the school unit and facilitate communication between the school board and town officials and residents.

The article passed with only one vote in opposition, adopting the ordinance, which will become effective 20 days from the date of Town Meeting.

Residents passed a requested $4,000 budget for legal service, which is on par with last year’s requested amount, but significantly less than last year’s actual expenditure that equaled $15,793 at the time the Town Report was compiled in late March.

Town Treasurer Mary McDonald estimated that this amount will likely be closer to $25,000 by the end of the current fiscal year on June 30.

A total of $30,000 was appropriated in two special Town Meetings over the past two years, said Savedoff, to be used for costs associated with a $183,000 lawsuit West Bath has filed against Arrowsic. The amount is what West Bath claims is Arrowsic’s share of total $1.9 million West Bath was overcharged by RSU 1 in a misapplied cost-sharing formula.

“There are basically three arguments going on here,” said Savedoff. “One is an issue of fairness, another is whether errors were made in the way the RSU allocated, and finally allegations of deception.”

The article in the warrant only includes the town’s normal legal fees and does not include possible additional expenses, he said, as the town is currently waiting to hear the court’s ruling on the case.

“We’re waiting with bated breath to find out how that’s going to come out,” he said.

Also at Town Meeting, Selectman Sukey Heard was re-elected for another threeyear term on the selectboard, Linda Warner was re-elected for a one-year term as town clerk, Liz Rollins was reelected as tax collector and Mary McDonald was re-elected as town treasurer.

rgargiulo@timesrecord.com