GEORGETOWN

Georgetown residents approved more than 50 warrant articles items without contention at Town Meeting on Saturday morning.

Mary McDonald, assistant to the selectmen, noted that the adoption of the new Floodplain Management Ordinance, an item that may have caused some debate, passed smoothly.

“We’re very independent and we don’t necessarily want to be told by the state that that’s the way we have to do it,” she said regarding the ordinance. “But we’ve had many discussions about it, we’ve had public hearing about it, so there wasn’t a whole lot of controversy.”

Through a secret ballot, residents also voted to raise and appropriate $813,313 in additional funds by a 61-4 margin, with one blank vote, to exceed the State Essential Programs and Services and funding model by $747,865.

When residents questioned an increase in a school budget line item, as funding for transportation is rising from $110,917 to $147,600, Nina Roth-Wells, School Committee chairperson, explained that part of the increase is due to a renegotiated contract with Bath Bus Service, a contract that has not been revisited in more than three years.

In addition to the contract, Roth-Wells said the increase is due to an out-of-district placement student who will be provided with transportation. She added that the cost shifted from the special education budget to transportation due to state requirements.

“The increase is about $18,000 for outof district placement and about $18,000 for the contract,” she clarified.

In other action, residents approved of $22,018 in regional service expenses, which reflects budget cuts to organizations New Hope for Women and Elmhurst Inc.

McDonald said the selectmen received the funding requests from the two organizations after deadline, and they decided not to add it in the budget after a recent public hearing.

New Hope for Women requested $500, while Elmhurst Inc. requested $800.

Although the article passed, Don Cowing, Georgetown resident, expressed his displeasure before voting.

“At the budget hearing, there was a clear majority of people who stood up in support of restoring these cuts, and my good friends on the selectboard chose not to change the budget,” he said. “I fear what that says about our town and a $4 million budget when we can not afford $1,300 to support a youth-women’s shelter and an organization that serves handicapped adults.”

The final article concerning the increase of the property tax levy limit of $691,930 was withdrawn at the request of McDonald, who explained that there was no need for the article because they were under the budget this year.

“The stuff that you folks just approved here — after we take out property tax revenue, it’s about $516,000, so there is no need for this article,” she said. “What it amounts to is the state gives us this 1.107 percent that we can grow our municipal budget and we came under that this year.”

Municipal elections also took place before the meeting on June 9, and newly elected officials were sworn in at the end of Town Meeting.

Katherine MacKay will serve on the Board of Selectmen, replacing Dolores Pinette; Charlie Collins was also elected Road Commissioner, defeating Stanley Burns and Dale Savoie.

Other elected officials include Catherine Collins as Town Clerk and Tax Collector, Nina Roth-Wells was elected to School Committee, Mark Donovan was elected to Town Owned Property Management Board, Mary MacDonald was elected Treasurer and George Jamieson was elected Cemetery District Trustee.

dkim@timesrecord.com