Hope Town Meeting: Animal control ordinance amendment lone item to fail

Wed, 07/15/2020 - 9:00pm
    Hope voters tended to annual town meeting business, school budget proposals, and state primaries, all in one fell swoop at the July 14 polls.
     
    Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, all municipal town meeting warrant articles were relegated to the polling booth.
     
    The results follow:
     
    ARTICLE 1. Hope Elementary School Budget. Shall the Town appropriate the sum of $3,056,714 and raise the sum of $1,896,401 for the 2020-2021 school budget?
     
    Yes, 342
     
    No, 137
     
    VOTER INFORMATION: The Hope Elementary school budget submitted in this Question 1 totals $3,056,714. It includes locally raised funds in the amount of $1,896,401, to be assessed to the Town of Hope in accordance with state law. The locally raised amount exceeds the maximum state and local spending target by $799,882. This budget includes these cost centers and amounts:

    Cost Center

    Amount Appropriated

    Regular Instruction

    $1,392,408

    Special Education

    $658,087

    Career and Technical Education

    $0

    Other Instruction

    $27,847

    Student and Staff Support

    $269,723

    System Administration

    $116,207

    School Administration

    $194,120

    Transportation and Buses

    $142,110

    Facilities Maintenance

    $256,212

    Debt Service and Other Commitments

    $0

    All Other Expenditures

    $0

    Summary of Total Authorized School

    $3,056,714

     

    ARTICLE 2. Shall the Town appropriate non-property tax revenues in the amount of $670,225 to help fund the Municipal Budget and reduce the property tax assessment for FY 2020-2021 as detailed in Articles 3-7?

    Yes, 400
     
    No, 48

     

    Revenue Source

    Selectmen Recommend

    Selectmen Vote

    Excise Taxes - Vehicles

    $318,000

    5-0

    Cemetery Maintenance

    $3,000

    5-0

    Highway Block Grant

    $27,200

    5-0

    State Revenue Sharing

    $100,000

    5-0

    GA Reimbursement

    $750

    5-0

    Grant Income

    $0

    5-0

    Unassigned Fund Balance

    $175,000

    5-0

    Miscellaneous Revenue

    58,000

    5-0

    Totals

    $670,225

     
    • ARTICLE 3. Shall the Town raise and appropriate the sum of $272,316 for the Administration Cost Center?

    Dept.

    Selectmen Recommend

    Selectmen Vote

    Town Administration

    $160,717

    4-1

    General Administration

    $59,139

    5-0

    General Assistance

    $750

    5-0

    Municipal Buildings

    $13,550

    5-0

    Professional Services

    $38,160

    5-0

    Totals

    $272,316

     

     

    Yes, 327
    No, 118

    • ARTICLE 4. Shall the Town raise and appropriate the sum of $148,972 for the Public Safety Cost Center?
     
     

    Selectmen Recommend

    Selectmen Vote

    Ambulance

    $38,659

    5-0

    Animal Control

    $6,567

    5-0

    Fire Department

    $98,745

    5-0

    Totals

    $148,972

     

     

     

    Yes, 400
    No, 48
     
     
    ARTICLE 5. Shall the Town raise and appropriate the sum of $83,025 for the Public Works Cost Center (excluding the roads budget – see Article 6)?

    Dept.

    Selectmen Recommend

    Selectmen Vote

    Cemeteries

    $9,577

    5-0

    Recreation

    $12,600

    5-0

    Sanitation

    $59,143

    5-0

    Streetlights

    $1,705

    5-0

    Totals

    $83,025

     

     

    Yes, 356
    No, 110

    • ARTICLE 6. Shall the Town raise and appropriate the sum of $528,895 for the maintenance and repairs of the Town Roads (balance of the Public Works Cost Center)?

    Dept.

    Selectmen Recommend

    Selectmen Vote

    Roads

    $528,895

    3-2

    Totals

    $528,895

     
     
    Yes, 255
    No, 213
     
    • ARTICLE 7. Shall the Town raise and appropriate the sum of $60,200 for the Reserve Accounts Cost Center?

    Item

    Selectmen Recommend

    Selectmen Vote

    Emergency Road Repairs

    $20,000

    5-0

    Fire Department Equipment

    $8,500

    5-0

    Fire Truck Replacement

    $10,000

    5-0

    Fire Truck Repair/Maintenance

    $5,000

    5-0

    Municipal Buildings Repair

    $5,000

    5-0

    Office Equipment/Software

    $2,000

    5-0

    Solar Reserve

    $9,700

    5-0

    Totals

    $60,200

     

     

    Yes, 366
    No, 95

    ARTICLE 8. Shall the Town raise and appropriate the sum of $500 for the Area Interfaith Outreach (AIO)?Explanation: In 2019, AIO provided Hope residents approximately $5,800 in social services through the Child Hunger Program (Backpack Program), food pantry visits, and energy assistance programs.
     
    Yes, 343
    No, 123
     
    ARTICLE 9. Shall the Town appropriate the sum of $5,119 from the unassigned fund balance to cover the FY 2019 overdraft in the Public Works Cost Center?
     
    Yes, 336
    No, 115
     
    ARTICLE 10. Shall the Town authorize the Board of Selectmen to fix the salaries of the officials and employees appointed by it under provision of 30-A M.R.S.A. §2601(1) and (2), subject to funding of previous Cost Center Articles?
     
    Yes, 321
    No, 130
     
    ARTICLE 11. Shall the Town authorize the Board of Selectmen to enter into multi-year contracts on behalf of the Town?
     
    • Explanation: This will not be raised through the FY 2020-2021 tax assessment. The overdraft in Public Works was due to additional sand and salt purchased for winter road maintenance above the budgeted amount.

     

    Yes, 268
    No, 177

    • ARTICLE 12. Shall the Town will amend the ordinance entitled: “Animal Control Ordinance”?

     

    Yes, 205
    No, 206

    • ARTICLE 13. Shall the Town will vote to appropriate all of the money received from the State of Maine for snowmobile registrations to the Hatchet Mountain Sno-Riders Snowmobile Club for the maintenance of their network of trails, on the condition that those trails are open to the public for the purpose of snowmobiling at no charge?

     

    Yes, 360
    No, 72

    • ARTICLE 14. Shall the Town authorize the Tax Collector to accept prepayment of taxes not yet committed pursuant to 36 M.R.S.A. § 506, with no interest to accrue on any excess prepaid over the amount finally committed?

     

    Yes, 356
    No, 72

    • ARTICLE 15. Shall the Town approve setting September 30, 2020 as the date when the first one-half of taxes shall be due and payable, with interest on the first installment to start after that date, and the date of April 30, 2021 as the date when the second one-half of taxes are due and payable, with interest on the second installment to start after that date; to set the interest rate at 8.00% for unpaid taxes pursuant to 36 M.R.S.A. § 505(4); and to list taxpayers’ names in the Town Report if taxes are not paid by June 30, 2021?

     

    Yes, 327
    No, 95

    ARTICLE 16. Shall the Town approve setting the interest rate to be paid by the Town on abated taxes at a rate of 4.00% for Fiscal Year 2020-2021 pursuant to 36 M.R.S.A. § 506-A and to authorize such interest paid or abatements granted to be appropriated from overlay funds or, if necessary, from the unassigned fund balance?

    Yes, 331
    No, 81

     

    ARTICLE 17. Shall the Town authorize the Board of Selectmen, at its discretion, to sell by sealed bid or public auction (with the Board of Selectmen reserving the right to reject any and all bids) and to convey by quitclaim deed any real estate acquired by the Town for nonpayment of taxes thereon, or to convey the property to the prior owner upon payment in full of all taxes, interest and charges incurred by the Town; provided that the Board of Selectmen shall use the special sale process required by 36 M.R.S. §943-A for qualifying homestead property, as applicable?

    Yes, 309
    No, 109

    ARTICLE 18. Shall the Town authorize the Board of Selectmen to sell or otherwise dispose of Town- owned personal property with a value of $1,000 or less on such terms and conditions as it deems advisable?

    Yes, 347
    No, 81

    ARTICLE 19. Shall the Town authorize the Treasurer to waive the foreclosure of tax lien mortgages and file such waivers at the Knox County Registry of Deeds pursuant to 36 M.R.S.A. § 944 upon a finding by the Board of Selectmen that ownership of the property that is subject to the tax lien mortgage would be contrary to the Town’s best interests?

    Yes, 336
    No, 85

    ARTICLE 20. Shall the Town authorize the Board of Selectmen to accept or reject donations of personal property and/or to accept or reject donations and/or gifts of money to the various accounts of the Town for the ensuing year and to appropriate those moneys donated for specific purposes, provided that any donation and/or gift which obligates the Town to incur liabilities that total $1,000 or more per year, as determined by the Board of Selectmen, shall be decided at a special town meeting?ARTICLE 21. Shall the Town authorize the Board of Selectmen to accept conditional or unconditional gifts of real property, provided that any gift which obligates the Town to incur liabilities that total $1,000 or more per year, as determined by the Board of Selectmen, shall be decided at a special town meeting?

    Yes, 364
    No, 62

    ARTICLE 21. Shall the Town authorize the Board of Selectmen to accept conditional or unconditional gifts of real property, provided that any gift which obligates the Town to incur liabilities that total $1,000 or more per year, as determined by the Board of Selectmen, shall be decided at a special town meeting?

    Yes, 354
    No, 72

    ARTICLE 22. Shall the Town authorize the School Board to accept or reject donations of personal property and/or to accept or reject donations and/or gifts of money to the various accounts of the school for the ensuing year and to appropriate those moneys donated for specific purposes, provided that any donation and/or gift which obligates the Town to incur liabilities that total $1,000 or more per year, as determined by the Board of Selectmen, shall be decided at a special town meeting?

    Yes, 384
    No, 71

    ARTICLE 23. Shall the Town authorize the Board of Selectmen to apply for state, federal (including Community Development Block Grants) and other grants on the Town’s behalf for purposes deemed by the Board of Selectmen to be in the best interests of the Town; to accept such grants, including, when necessary, the authority to sign contracts and related documents and to accept conditions of approval; and to appropriate such grant funds for any purpose for which the Town has appropriated funds in Fiscal Year 2020-2021?

    Yes, 386
    No, 62

    ARTICLE 24. Shall the Town appropriate the proceeds of any payment on insurance claims for damage occurring to Town property, with such appropriation dedicated to the budget line item for the same type of property as the loss sustained?

    Yes, 396
    No, 50

    ARTICLE 25. Shall the Town authorize the Board of Selectmen to carry unexpended funds forward to the next fiscal year within the existing cost centers?

    Yes, 413
    No, 36