CUSHING — The Town of Cushing will hold its annual town meeting Tuesday, March 17 at 7 p.m. at the Cushing Community Center. 

Fifty-five articles are listed on the town meeting warrant, with two being voted on by secret ballot Monday, March 16. 

Members of the select board and budget committee recommend the approval of Articles 3 through 43. 

Annual Town Meeting Articles

Art. 1. To elect a Moderator to preside at said meeting.

Art. 2. To elect by secret ballot Selectmen Seat #1, Assessor Seat #3, and Budget
Committee Member Seat #3.

Art. 3. To see what sum of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for Town Officers salaries.
Selectman (Chair) — $5,884
Selectman — $2,739
Selectman —$2,739
Selectman — $2,739
Selectman — $2,739
Assessor (Chair) — $1,691
Assessor — $925
Assessor — $925
Planning Board (Chair) — $2,002
Planning Board $1,002
Planning Board $1,002
Planning Board $1,002
Planning Board $1,002
Harbormaster — $2,292
Director, Emergency Management — $1,080
General Assistance Admin. — $1,080
Plumbing Inspector — $339
Code Enforcement Officer — $11,179
Fire Chief — $3,893
Deputy Fire Chief — $611
Rescue Squad Director — $2,097
Assistant Rescue Squad Director — $1,573
Q.A.I. Officer — $1,573
Health Officer — $524
Addressing Officer — $524
Animal Control Officer — $3,437
Recreation Director — $3,060
$59,653
2019 unexpended — $2,725.25
Total — $56,927.75

Art. 4. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $83,580 for the Administrative Wages Account (includes Town Clerk, Tax Collector, and Deputy Clerk/Tax Collector wages).

Art. 5. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $12,000 for payroll taxes. 

Art. 6. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $16,000 for the Incidentals Account.

Art. 7. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $1,000 for the Alarm and Telephone Systems Account.

Art. 8. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $12,000 for the Computer Account.

Art. 9. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $20,000 for the Insurance Account.

Art. 10. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $1,000 for the Furniture and Fixtures Account.

Art. 11. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $13,000 for Capital Improvements to the Cushing Community Center.

Art. 12. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $ 15,000 for the Cushing Community Center Operations Account.

Art. 13. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $55,830 for the Cushing Fire Department Account.

Art. 14. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $10,000 for the Fire Station Operations Account.

Art. 15. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $31,658, for the Assessor’s Account, which will include the Assessor’s Agent salary.

Art. 16. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $5,275 for the Planning Board Account.

Art. 17. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $2,300 for the Septic Tank Waste Disposal Contract.

Art. 18. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $2,500 for the Cushing Recreation Account.

Art. 19. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $6,000 for the Cushing Recreation Field.

Art. 20. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $1,000 for the Animal Welfare Account.

Art. 21. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $500 for the General Assistance Account.

Art. 22. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $3,000 to support the Georges River Interlocal Clam Management Agreement.

Art. 23. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $2,500 for the Town Library Assistance Account.

Art. 24. To see what sum of money, if any, the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for Social Services:
American Red Cross — $2,500
Coastal Opportunities — $200
Flags for Veteran Graves — $300
Friendship-Cushing Food Pantry — $700
MidCoast Maine Community Action — 800
New Hope for Women — $660
Penquis — $443
Spectrum Generations — $1,256
Trekkers — $750
Total — $7,609

Art. 25. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $3,197 for dues to the Maine Municipal Association.

Art. 26. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $3,000 for the Pleasant View Cemetery Account.

Art. 27. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $4,000 for the Ancient Cemetery Maintenance Account.

Art. 28. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $3,000 for the Norton Cemetery Account.

Art. 29. To see if the Town will vote to take $10,000 from Excise Tax for the Town Buildings Repair and Maintenance Account.

Art. 30. To see if the Town will vote to take $4,000 from Excise Tax for the Town Garage Operations Account.

Art. 31. To see if the Town will vote to take $68,000 from Excise Tax for the Snow Removal Account.

Art. 32. To see if the Town will vote to take $5,000 from Excise Tax for the Town Snowplow and Sander Equipment Operations.

Art. 33. To see if the Town will vote to take $16,000 from Excise Tax for the Town Snowplow Trucks Maintenance and Fuel Account.

Art. 34. To see if the Town will vote to take $15,000 from Excise Tax for the Rescue Squad Account.

Art. 35. To see if the Town will vote to take $2,500 from Excise Tax for the Ambulance Maintenance Account.

Art. 36. To see if the Town will vote to take $80,000 from Excise Tax for the Waldoboro Transfer Station Account.

Art. 37. To see if the Town will vote to take $52,762 from Excise for the County dispatching service.

Art. 38. To see if the Town will vote to take $5,000 from Excise Tax for the Town Sander Replacement Account.

Art. 39. To see if the Town will vote to take $25,000 from Excise Tax for the Town Truck Replacement Account.

Art. 40. To see if the Town will take $25,000 from Excise Tax for the Fire Truck Replacement Account.

Art. 41. To see if the Town will take $25,000 from Excise Tax for the Ambulance Replacement Account.

Art. 42. To see if the Town will vote to take $35,000 from Excise Tax to purchase a backhoe.

Art. 43. To see if the Town will vote to take $10,000 from Boat Excise Tax for the Public Water Access Account.

Art. 44. To see if the Town will vote to approve entering into a three-year contract with Pope Memorial Humane Society of Knox County. (Contract is $2,147.60 per year)

Art. 45. To see if the Town will vote, pursuant to 36 M.R.S.A. § 506 to authorize the Tax Collector or Treasurer to accept the payment of taxes not yet assessed.

Art. 46. To see if the Town will vote pursuant to 36 M.R.S.A. § 505(4) to charge interest at a rate of 6.00% per year on taxes not paid in accordance with the tax bill due date.

Art. 47. To see if the Town will vote pursuant to 36 M.R.S.A. §506-A to set the interest rate to be paid by the Town on abated taxes at 2.00% per year.

Art. 48. To see if the Town will vote to take money from Undesignated Funds to pay for abated taxes.

Art. 49. To see if the Town will authorize the Board of Selectmen to dispose of tax acquired property by sealed bid, and to advertise the sale of the property three times in the local paper, prior to the opening of the bids.

Art. 50. To see if the Town will vote to accept the various State Reimbursements, such as Municipal Revenue Sharing Funds, Tree Growth, Veteran’s Tax Exemption, Urban Rural Initiative (road fund), Fuel Tax Refund, Snowmobile Refund, General Assistance, Small Community Grant Program, and any and all kinds of property relief as provided by the State Legislature to the Town in the fiscal year 2020.

Art. 51. To see if the Town will vote to accept and appropriate, for the purposes for which they are received, the proceeds of all grants made to the Town during the Town’s fiscal year by the federal or state government, their agencies and authorities; and to see if the Town will vote that any necessary matching funds be appropriated by Town Meeting and that any substantive conditions other than a standard grant condition regarding spending only for the purpose for which the grant is made, be approved by Town Meeting.

Art. 52. Shall an ordinance entitled ‘Georges River Regional Shellfish Management Ordinance’ be amended as shown in the attachment to the warrant and reviewed at the March 2, 2020 public hearing?

Art. 53. To see if the Town will vote to increase the property tax levy limit established for the Town of Cushing by State law in the event that the municipal budget approved under the preceding articles will result in a tax commitment that is greater than the property tax levy limit.

Art. 54. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to accept, on behalf of the Town, gifts, donations, trust funds, and contributions in the form of money, personal services and materials for the benefit of the Town, its government including legal departments and public facilities thereof, for the purpose of aiding and enhancing the delivery of public services. Said gifts to be without conditions and not require the voters to raise additional maintenance money.

Art. 55. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to borrow money in anticipation of tax receipts and to borrow or transfer funds as they deem advisable to meet unanticipated year 2021 budget accounts from January 1, 2021 until the 2021 annual meeting.