2013 Town Meetings

March 5

Palmyra Community Center focus of Saturday Town Meeting

By BRENDA SEEKINS, Correspondent

PALMYRA — The future of the Palmyra Community Center will be up for discussion and a vote on Saturday during the annual Town Meeting.

PALMYRA

Elections: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, March 8,

Candidates for two selectmen seats: Brian Barrows, Vondell Dunphy, Galen Knight; one RSU 19 director: Jenny Watson, Don Mendell;

Town meeting: 10 a.m. Saturday, March 9, Palmyra Community Center

Registered voters: 1,532

Voters at 2012 Town Meeting: 144

Current property tax rate: $15.00 per $ 1,000 of assessed value

Voters also will consider a slightly higher municipal budget and on Friday consider a school district loan as well as elect municipal officials.

Voters will be asked to move the town office to the community center at a cost of about $40,000, with just half of the funds to be raised through taxation, according to Selectman Priscilla Jones.

“If we are going to keep it, it just makes sense to move the town office there,” said Jones, this week.

The town took possession of the building, a former elementary school, in fall 2010 when it was no longer needed by Newport-based Regional School Unit 19. Since then it has served local groups, businesses and individuals for a variety of uses.

This year, it was decided to take action on its permanent role in the community. If voters decide not to move the town office, they also will have an option to sell the building.

Another article asks voters if they want to appropriate $35,000 ($20,000 from surplus and raise $15,000) to operate the building as a community center, with fees from rentals, fundraisers and donations supporting operations.

The proposed municipal budget of $746,623 is up less than 1 percent over the current year’s budget and is not expected to affect the $15 per $1,000 property tax rate, according to Administrative Assistant Diane Cookson.

The meeting starts at 10 a.m. in the community center.

On Friday, voters will consider municipal candidates and a proposal to allow RSU 19 to borrow $2.8 million to fund a gap in the upcoming school budget.

Three candidates are running for two open selectmen’s seats. Incumbents Brian Barrows and Vondell Dunphy are facing challenger Galen Knight.

Two candidates are running for the open school board seat, Don Mendell and Jenny Watson.

Elections are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, March 8, at the town hall.

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