SCARBOROUGH — Voters in Scarborough may see questions on the municipal ballot this November about a bond for a replacement fire engine as well as a new high school turf field and track.

On Aug. 18, town councilors spoke in favor of approving both questions, one of which being a $725,000 bond to replace a 1996 fire engine, and the second bond issue question would allow the town to bond up to $1.9 million for a new track and turf field. To appear on the Nov. 2 municipal ballot, the questions need to be approved at the council’s Sept. 1 meeting.

Expenditures over $400,000 need to be approved by voters, according to the town charter.

Council Chair Paul Johnson said that the proposed fire engine bond was part of the town’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget which began July 1.

“This is part of our capital improvements budget for our budget passed back in June, and this is a typical process where we then vote to put it on a ballot,” he said.

Over the next two weeks, the proposed bond issue for a new high school track and turf field may change as school department staff are negotiating with a firm on what will be included and the price, said April Sither, Board of Education chair.

“I can confirm that staff is engaging with a firm to find the scope of work and to begin those negotiations,” she said. “As soon as we have that number, that’s certainly something we can provide for the council. That being said, we know that we cannot exceed $1.9 million because that’s already been approved as part of the FY21 operating budget.”

Discussion of replacing the high school track and turf field has been ongoing in Scarborough for several years. Voters did not approve a $1.2 million renovation project proposed for the facility in 2019, reported The Forecaster.

Johnson said the town had difficulty fighting a narrative that vandalism, which had happened earlier in 2019, was the cause of the field’s needing replacement.

If the dollar figure changes due to negotiations, the council will amend the bond question before approving it for the ballot, he said.

The town will try to coordinate communication efforts with the School Board, Councilor Jonathan Anderson said.

“Hopefully, people will understand the importance now, and we just need to make sure we partner with the School Board and support any communications effort around this specific bond to make sure we’re getting the word out to the community,” he said.

Councilor Ken Johnson said he thought the track and turf field were in poor shape.

“(Y)ou can’t tell that when you drive by the road,” he said. “You look over, and it actually looks good. I’ve heard people say, ‘Why are they replacing it? It looks great.’ If you walked on it, you would see. I’m actually shocked at the condition of it.”

A public hearing on both bond questions will take place at the Sept. 1 Town Council meeting before the council votes on them. The Nov. 2 election will be located at the Scarborough High School gymnasium from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., or voters can learn about absentee ballots at scarboroughmaine.org/departments/town-clerk/elections.

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