ARUNDEL – Voters at the polls June 14 will act on a series of proposed charter amendments  including adding a provision for the recall of Regional School Unit 21 board members. The proposal outlines a step-by-step process for recalls of all Arundel elected officials.

Currently, Arundel’s charter does not allow for recall of school board members. The proposal comes after a recent recall election in Kennebunk, also part of RSU 21. Prior to the recall election, the school district sued the town of Kennebunk, asserting it did not have the authority to recall RSU 21 board members. A York County Superior Court judge on March 8 concluded it did, under Maine’s principles of home rule and provisions outlined in Maine statutes. The Kennebunk recall election was held March 29 when voters declined to recall the school board member.

Another other proposed amendment to the charter is a provision to make it gender neutral – changing board of selectmen to select board; chairman to chair.

Other charter changes proposals include giving the select board the authority to establish a policy defining a bid process; and add a provision that authorizes the budget board and select board to propose compensation for town employees and some committees, with final approval by a town meeting vote.

There are no contested races for elected positions. Candidates for two, three-year select board seats are incumbents Velma Jones Hayes and Jason Nedeau.

Erin Nadeau, appointed as an RSU 21 director following a resignation last year, is a candidate for a three-year term. Incumbent Ira Camp is not seeking re-election. Ryan McQueen is running for the remaining two years of the term currently held by Nadeau.

Theo Rohrs is the sole candidate for one of two, three-year positions on the Arundel Budget Board. There were no candidates for two, one-year budget board positions.

Polls are open at the Arundel Municipal Building, 257 Limerick Road, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 14.

The annual town meeting is Wednesday, June 15 at 7 p.m. at the municipal building. Voters attending will decide 41 articles that include whether to raise and appropriate funds for two new full-time firefighter positions to augment existing staff, decide whether to contribute to a playground fund, and act on a series of articles to fund the government and services for the new fiscal year, along with some zoning amendments.

Currently the town employs one full-time firefighter, a part-time chief, hires per-diem firefighter/EMS personnel to cover 24 hours shifts, along with call, or volunteer personnel. After a year of review and a study of staffing needs, the budget and select boards  voted to ask the town meeting to approve two new fulltime firefighter/paramedics, The proposed $184,000 appropriation in Article 10 would cover salaries and benefits for the two positions, municipal officials say.

Article 18 asks voters to contribute $25,000 from the town’s fund balance (surplus) account to a playground on the grounds of the municipal building. Funds set aside earlier are not enough, town officials say, and approval of the article will  allow the town to complete the purchase and installation.

The town meeting body will also act on four spending proposals for about $270,000 of Arundel’s $464,000 American Rescue Plan Act funds allotment. Upgrades to the Arundel Fire Station, including  roof, apparatus ramp and heating system are estimated at $70,000; $30,000 is requested for asbestos removal from the old town hall; $70,000 is requested for capital repairs to a 2005 Mack truck used by the Public Works Department; and $100,000 for use within the town’s 10-year road improvement plan.

For more information about the warrant, with explanations of articles provided by the municipality and the proposed charter changes, visit tinyurl.com/bdexabm5.

Voters  will also decide is they wish to validate the $54.1 million RSU 21 budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. With state education revenue and use of existing funds, called carryforward, the net budget passed on to taxpayers in the three towns is $44.9 million, about $222,000  less than the current year. If property assessments remain the same as they are today, calculations show an Arundel resident with a property valued at $300,000 would pay about $39 less in property tax in the next fiscal year.

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