Voters reject Five Town CSD $7.3 million bond package
Rockport was the first of five municipalities in the Five Town CSD to report voting results on a proposed $7.3 million spending package after the polls closed at 8 p.m., Jan. 14. Within one half hour, Appleton, Camden, Hope and Lincolnville also reported their results, with all towns rejecting the bond proposal by a 28 percent margin.
In the end, 591 voters approved the ballot referendum while 1,539 voted against it.
At 8:21 p.m., Town Clerk Liz Lowe circulated the following results for Rockport:
501 voters cast ballots, either via absentee ballot or at the polls at the town office.
Of those, 146 voted yes, 355 voted no.
According to Lowe, 439 citizens voted in person Jan. 14, while 62 voted via absentee ballot.
Lincolnville reported that 93 residents voted yes on the spending package and 253 voted no.
Of those, 320 turned at the polls Jan. 14, and 26 voted via absentee ballot, said Town Administrator David Kinney.
Camden reported that 262 voted yes on the ballot question and 620 voted no. Of those, 170 vote absentee.
In Hope, 47 voted yes and 177 voted no. Of the 224 voters, 25 voted via absentee ballot and 199 went to the polls Jan. 14.
In Appleton, 43 voted yes, and 134 voted no. Of those, 24 voted via absentee ballot.
A proposal by the Five Town Community School District to borrow $7.3 million to pay for energy upgrades and installing a new artificial turf field at Camden Hills Regional High School in Rockport had been introduced in early December to the towns.
The Five Town CSD oversees Camden Hills Regional High School and represents residents of Appleton, Camden, Hope, Lincolnville and Rockport.
The bond proposal bundled four separate projects at Camden Hills Regional High School: Maintenance and replacement of the HVAC system; window and siding replacements; installation of a new synthetic turf field; and seating and code upgrades in the Strom Theater.
The question before voters was:
Article 1. Do you favor authorizing the School Board of Five Town Community School District (the “District”) to issue bonds or notes in the name of the District for minor capital project purposes in an amount not to exceed $7,300,000 to construct and equip the following projects at Camden Hills Regional High School:
1. Replacing the Don Palmer Field with artificial turf;
2. HVAC system improvements to replace failed geothermal system;
3. Replacement siding and windows; and
4. Strom Auditorium repairs and upgrades.
Here is how each town voted.
YES | NO | |
Appleton | 43 | 134 |
Camden | 262 | 620 |
Hope | 47 | 177 |
Lincolnville | 93 | 253 |
Rockport | 146 | 355 |
TOTAL | 591 | 1,539 |