Two of three local regional school units approved their budgets Tuesday.

The $24.4 million school budget in Regional School Unit 2 was validated in each of its five municipalities despite requiring substantial increases in local taxes to support it. The vote was 1,019-613. It will increase the tax rate per $1,000 in taxable value by $1 in Dresden, $1.40 in Farmingdale, $1.80 in Hallowell, $1.50 in Monmouth, and 90 cents in Richmond.

Rejection of the proposed RSU 4 school budget 180-121 in Sabattus was enough to defeat the validation effort in that district. Litchfield voted 109-100 in favor and Wales 62-51 to approve the proposed $17.7 million budget. The vote total of 331-292 was enough to defeat it.

Voters in three of four towns in Regional School Unit 38 opted to validate the proposed $15.7 million school budget, and the votes were enough to pass it 844-812 overall. The breakdown by town: Manchester 231-172; Mount Vernon 159-131; Readfield 300-389; Wayne 154-120.

Voters also decided municipal races and issues in several towns.

CHELSEA

Advertisement

Residents overwhelmingly supported adopting a town charter in Tuesday’s election with a high enough turnout to meet the voter count required.

The charter passed with 88 percent of the vote, 364-45, according to Town Clerk Lisa Gilliam.

State law requires at least 30 percent of the number of voters in the most recent gubernatorial election to vote for the measure in order for it to be adopted. The town needed 347 total votes, and 416 residents voted Tuesday.

The charter outlines the town’s governing structure and provides guidance to municipal officials on how to conduct business.

Former Selectman Rick Danforth defeated Doug Crochere for an open seat on the Board of Selectmen by a 241-154 vote.

Danforth will serve the remaining two years of Linda Leotsakos’ three-year term on the board. Leotsakos, who died last month, had planned to resign at the end of June for health reasons.

Advertisement

Residents also re-elected Selectman Michael Pushard to a three-year term with 369 votes.

Chelsea residents voted 507-178 in November 2011 to establish a charter commission to draft the charter, following the arrest of former Selectwoman Carole Swan that February on fraud charges.

DRESDEN

Gerald M. Lilly was elected second selectmen over two challengers. Ann Pierce was elected tax collector 149-93 over Susan Bickford-Lilly.

MANCHESTER

Tom Oliver and Paula Thomas were elected to the Board of Selectmen Tuesday.

Advertisement

Oliver, with 248 votes, and Thomas, with 234, topped Lance Boucher, who received 154 votes, in the three-person race for the two available seats.

Manchester residents voted to approve the RSU 38 budget, 231-172.

Voters, in a second school budget-related question, elected to continue validating the budget annually by a vote of 265-134.

All other races were uncontested.

LITCHFIELD

Rayna Leibowitz, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, won a second three-year term, 121-73, over challenger Bruce Pelkey.

Advertisement

RICHMOND

John Vear won a three-year term as Richmond Utilities District trustee 103-59 over Mike Grizkewitsch Sr.

READFIELD

Voters rejected the RSU 38 budget, 389-300, but opted to put the next three school budgets to a public vote, 426-252.

A package of road reconstruction projects was approved, 424-231.

An addition for the fire station was rejected, 372-232.

Advertisement

Forming a charter commission, which would draft a town charter, essentially a municipal constitution, was also rejected, 387-239.

Allen Curtis and Val Pomerleau were elected to the Board of Selectmen, 326 and 376 votes, respectively; Raymond Renner garnered 323 votes.

With 81 write-in votes, Stephen Hayes was elected to the RSU 38 school board, on which he has previously served. A seat on Readfield’s school advisory board was also to be decided by write-in vote and had not been determined by late Wednesday.

Other issues will be decided and the municipal budget set at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Town Meeting at Readfield Elementary School.

WAYNE

Peter Ault defeated Gary William Carr, 201-84, to take the board seat occupied by Ray Giglio, who opted not to seek re-election. His term expires at the end of the month.

In voting for two open school committee seats, Theresa Kerchner will fill a three-year term. The two-year position, also a write-in, was still undetermined as of late Wednesday afternoon.

Dallas Folk and David Stevenson were elected to the Budget Committee with 191 and 204 votes, respectively. A write-in winner for a third seat on the committee was James Perkins.

The open portion of the annual Town Meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Ladd Recreation Center at 26 Gott Road.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.