Will the Camden Select Board be able to keep its promise that none of our property taxes will be used to remove Montgomery Dam and Spillway?

According to the wording of Article 7 that was approved by voters on June 10, “The Town is authorized to fund the work only from non-property tax revenue sources, e.g. grants and private donations.” 

Please note that there is no reference to “new” property tax revenue, so it obviously includes not only future property taxes but also anything that has been collected and budgeted for this year’s expenses as well as any property taxes that have accumulated in our reserve accounts over the years.  

In addition, the phrase “fund the work” appears to be all-inclusive, meaning every cost from June 11 onward that the Town incurs for the removal of Montgomery Dam and Spillway — including both physical and administrative work done by our Town employees to apply for and secure permits or grants, to supervise road closures and traffic control, to provide landscaping or erosion control, etc., etc.

It looks like the members of our Select Board have their work cut out for them.  They need to make sure that none of our property tax payments — either already collected or collected in the future — are used for any part of this project. I suggest they come up with an auditing plan now to oversee all of these expenses in order to keep their promise to Camden’s taxpayers that we won’t by paying for this travesty.

Ray Andresen lives in Camden