Elections and Polls, June 10, 2025: Warrants, Candidates, School and Municipal Budgets

June is when Maine citizens weigh in on municipal, county and sometimes state matters. Polls are open on Election Day, June 10, for voters to cast ballots on candidates, budgets, ordinance amendments and local policies. The longtime Maine tradition of a March Town Meeting has changed over the decades, and most education and municipal entities run on a July-June budget cycle. Many town meetings went to a June schedule, and then things changed again, with some towns doing away with in-person town meeting altogether and presenting budgets and decisions to voters at the ballot box.

The one constant remains that voters ultimately decide whether to approve the budgets, which directly affect their property taxes.

Appleton, Camden, Rockport, Union, and Waldoboro have done away with the in-person town meeting, which traditionally was soon after the Tuesday June elections. This means that all municipal business, from budgets to policy initiatives and changes in those towns will now be addressed at the polls on Voting Day, Tuesday, June 10. If voters ever decide to bring back their in-person town meetings, they can organize to change the policy.

Town Meetings, Municipal and School Budgets, Warrants and Candidates
Below are area municipalities holding elections and town meetings in June

APPLETON
appleton.maine.gov
Annual Town Meeting, June 10, by Secret Ballot, Appleton Fire Station, 2899 Sennebec Road, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The warrant includes a proposed Appleton Cemetery Ordinance that, if approved at the polls, will guide burial and upkeep policies at the town-owned Appleton Cemetery.

The Appleton municipal warrant comprises 36 articles, the bulk of which concern the town's proposed $1,506,652 budget for 2025-2026, as well as annual municipal business items.

Appleton voters will also consider approving its share of the $18,504,043 Five Town CSD (Camden Hills Regional High School) budget. Appleton's share is $604,438, up 10.4 percent from the $547,520 of the current 2024-2025 budget. The proposed CSD budget expenses are 8 percent above the current budget, with the impact to taxpayers at at 8.95 percent increase.

Appleton will also consider its own K-8 Appleton Village School budget of $4,078,482. The proposed budget represents a 5 percent increase, or $194,603 over the current 2024 budget.

Absentee ballots are currently available. If you are a resident and would like to vote but are unsure if you are registered, call the Town Office.

CAMDEN
camdenmaine.gov
Annual Town Meeting, June 10, Camden Public Safety Building, by secret ballot, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Camden voters this year are facing one of the most contentious issues in recent memory and are being asked whether to remove the Montgomery Dam at the head of Camden Harbor where the Megunticook River spills in the sea. Citizens have been arguing this point for several years, and a town appointed committee had recommended in February that the dam be removed. The question now goes to the voter.

All Camden ballots, the municipal budget and warrant articles, as well as the Five Town CSD and SAD 28 budgets, can be found here.

Camden's proposed 2025-2026 $15 million municipal budget has increased 19 percent over the current $12.9 million budget, with increases attributed primarily to insurance costs, information technology, fire and EMS services, and municipal debt for capital equipment purchases and infrastructure replacement.

Camden intends to reduce the taxpayer load of the overall budgetary increase with the use of $1.15 million in surplus funds to help pay for them, as well as using $997, 850 in tax increment financing money tp help pay for Camden Opera House improvements and other projects. Read about the budget in depth, courtesy of a report issued in late February by Town Manager Audra Caler.

Other warrant articles concern allowing private residential treatment facilities in certain residential zones to increase the number of beds from 12 to 18. This arrived before voters at the request of Borden Cottage, a residential drug, alcohol, and co-occurring behavioral health treatment facility on Bay View Street, to make room for more clients.

Camden voters will also consider clarifications and revisions to its accessory apartment rules, pesticide regulations, and the municipal ownership of the Elm Street School, formerly owned by School Administrative District 28.

SAD 28 had plans to convert the historic school building into housing but costs proved 43 percent higher and the district chose, instead, to abort the project and return the property to municipal ownership.

Camden voters will also consider approving its share of the $18,504,043 Five Town CSD (Camden Hills Regional High School) budget. Camden's share is $5,166,297, up 12.1 percent, or $559,640, from the 2024-2025 budget. The proposed CSD budget expenses are 8 percent above the current budget, with the impact to taxpayers at at 8.95 percent increase.

The School Administrative District 28 proposed 2025-2026 budget is $21,496,178, up $1,135,278, or 5.58 percent, from the current $20. 3 million budget. Camden's share is to be 11,026,273, up $654,525, or 6.31 percent, from the current budget.

Camden School Board Candidates
On June 10, voters in Camden will elect two to serve on the School Administrative District 28 (Camden-Rockport K-8) and the Five Town CSD (Camden Hills Regional High School) boards of directors. There are four candidates seeking two open seats this June, both three-year terms. (Read their responses to Pilot questions below)

Rafael (Rafi) Baeza
Rebecca Flanagan
A. Taylor Pohlman
Sarah E. Smith

Camden Select Board Candidates

Camden will consider two candidates to fill one open seat on the Camden Select Board being vacated by Tom Hedstrom. (Read their responses to Pilot questions below)
Bobbi Oxton Blake
Christopher Rheault

HOPE
hopemaine.org

Hope has a two-part Annual Town Meeting that will begin June 10 for secret ballot items, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Hope Town Office, 441 Camden Road. The second half of the town meeting will take place in person Thursday, June 12, at 6 p.m. at the Hope Corner Fire Station. Registered Hope voters will then decide on Warrant Articles 5 through 26 by raising a card that was issued to them when each of them checked in to the meeting.

At the polls, Hope voters will consider approving its share of the $18,504,043 Five Town CSD (Camden Hills Regional High School) budget. Hope's share is $984,680, up 16 percent from the $849,032 of the 2024-2025 budget. The proposed CSD budget expenses are 8 percent above the current budget, with the impact to taxpayers at at 8.95 percent increase.

Hope will also consider on June 10 the election of two Select Board candidates — Joe Tassi and Charles Weidman — who are running unopposed to three-year terms.

Hope voters will also address the Hope School K-8 budget of $3.843 million.

At the June 13 continuation of the Hope Town Meeting, voters will consider amending the Hope Fire Department Ordinance to expand defintions and languaged governing the fire department.

LINCOLNVILLEtown.lincolnville.me.us

Lincolnville will start its annual town meeting June 10 at the polls, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Lincolnville Central School, to act on warrant articles 1-4 (concerning elections of municipal officials, school board members, and the Lincolnville School budget. Then, on Thursday, June 12, citizens will gather at the Lincolnville Central School at 6 p.m. to act upon the remaining articles in the warrant. The 2025 warrant can be read here.

The municipal ballot includes two candidates — Ann McKittrick and Caitlin Sonia — who are seeking one open seat on the Lincolnville School Committee, and two candidates — Amelia Grant and Joseph McLaughlin — who are seeking one open seat on the Five Town CSD Board.

The ballot also asks voters if they want to approve the $5,328,708 proposed Lincolnville school budget for 2025-2026, an increase of $4,910,340, up 8.52 percent, or $418,367. The percentage increase on property tax, according to the school committee, is 3.91 percent. The committee's Budget Report is here, and the full budget is here.

Lincolnville voters will also consider approving its share of the $18,504,043 Five Town CSD (Camden Hills Regional High School) budget. Camden's share is $5,166,297, up 12.1 percent, or $559,640, from the 2024-2025 budget. The proposed CSD budget expenses are 8 percent above the current budget, with the overall impact to taxpayers at at 8.95 percent increase. Lincolnville's share is $2.09 million, with the tax increase of 5.8 percent.

Lincolnville's $3 million municipal budget represents an increase of 2.4 percent over the current $2.9 million budget. Lincolnville's warrant includes proposed municipal expenditures and business for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

NORTHPORTnorthportmaine.org

The Northport elections will take place June 14, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the town office.

The 2025 annual-person town meeting is June 16, at the Edna Drinkwater School (56 Bayside Road), at 6:30 p.m.

The municipal warrant contains 56 articles. The first two will be addressed at the polls June 14, and concern electing muncipal officials, a school board member and a road commissioner.

The remaining warrant articles (municipal and school) will be addressed at the in-person town meeting June 16.

Northport oversees its own K-8 budget and tuitions high school students to other area high schools. The Northport School Department proposed budget is $4.253 million, up from the $3.96 million current budget. The$296,491 increase is attributed to the creation of a pre-kindergarten program ($150,000) at the Edna Drinkwater Elementary School, health insurance, and property insurance.

Articles on the town meeting agenda include asking voters if they approve pursuing grants and partially funding the construction of a new town office and community center. Municipal appropriation would be $3.5 million and the town would be allowed to receive up to $5,912,785 in grants from Congressionally Directed Spending and the Northern Border Regional Commission, and other donations. The Select Board has applied for federal grant funding totaling $5,912,785 for the project. The borrowing authorization of $3,500,000 contained in the article may be reduced by the amount of federal grant funds and donations received. The estimated project cost as of December 2024 was approximately $5.2 million.

ROCKLAND
rocklandmaine.gov

Rockland polls will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., June 10, for voters to consider school budget spending, and one municipal ballot item: and ordinance amendment, "Bond Ordinance Authorizing Issuance of the City's Bonds or Notes in an Amount not to Exceed $10 million for Affordable Workforce Housing Projects and Other Capital Projects Related and Ancilliary Thereto,"... plus the costs of issuing the bond.

The anticipated interest on the bond is between 3.87 and 5.134 percent, and with the interest estimated at 4.33 percent, the total cost of the borrowing would be $17.7 million, depending on market conditions.

The city agreed to put the bond before the voters following the recommendation last March of the Rockland Affordable and Workforce Housing Task Force to finance capital projects to enable the construction of affordable and workforce housing in the city. This bond issuance is anticipated to help facilitate capital projects, "that will not only provide much-needed housing but also promote long-term economic growth."

Rockland voters will also consider the $41 million RSU 13 budget, up $2 million from the $39 million current budget.

Election Polls are located at the Flanagan Community Center on 61 Limerock Street (get directions).

ROCKPORT
rockportmaine.gov

Rockport’s Annual Town Meeting will take place at the polls June 10, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Rockport Public Library.

Voters will be asked to re-elect one Select Board member, John Viehman, who ran unopposed.

They will also be also to select one SAD 28 and Five Town CSD members from a field of three candidates:

Brieanna Gutierrez Ellen Reynolds
Stacey Contakos

Rockport voters will also consider approving its share of the $18,504,043 Five Town CSD (Camden Hills Regional High School) budget. Rockport's share is $4.78 million up 5.6 percent, or $253,827, from the 2024-2025 budget. The proposed CSD budget expenses are 8 percent above the current budget, with the impact to taxpayers at at 8.95 percent increase.

The School Administrative District 28 proposed 2025-2026 budget is $21,496,178, up $1,135,278, or 5.58 percent, from the current $20. 3 million budget. Rockport's share is to be $8 million, up $285,537, or 3.6 percent, from the current budget.

Rockport's municipal budget by 13.89 percent to $13 million, up $1,026,542 from the current budget. Read: Rockport Select Board, Budget Committee reviews and debates proposed $13 million municipal budget

The Rockport Warrant also asks for voter approval of an updated comprehensive plan. And, voters are being asked if they will approve Article 4, to have the town apply for a federal Land and Water Conservation Act matching grant of up to $500,000 for creating a new park at the former RES site. The Rockport Common grant would be matched locally by a private donation of the Lesher Family Foundation, not the Rockport taxpayer. Voters approved the Lesher Family Foundation donation for this purpose in 2023, and this article moves the grant application forward.

THOMASTON
thomastonmaine.gov

Thomaston’s Annual Town Meeting will take place over two days, beginning June 10 at the polls, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Thomaston Municipal Building (former Lura Libby School, 13 Valley Street) where voters will consider electing two Select Board member candidates — Alan Blake and Will Eustis — for three-year terms, one Board of Assessors member candidate, Kathy Derene, for a three-year term, and two RSU 13 School Board members. They are: Gary Upham for a three-year term, and Kendray Rodriguez for a two-year term.

Thomaston voters will also consider the $41 million RSU 13 budget, up $2 million is available here.

On June 11, citizens will gather at the Thomaston Municipal Building at 6 p.m. for annual Town Meeting and consider questions 3 through 47 on the Thomaston Municipal Warrant.

The warrant includes a proposed $5.8 million municipal budget, up from the current budget of $4.9 million.

The warrant also includes a proposed land swap of seven acres belonging to Robert and Lynn Snow. In return the town would received .14 acres of land over a buried sewer line. The goal of the swap is to resolve a issue originating in 2015 when the town learned that its sewer line infringed on the northeast corner of land, "that the Town may, but cannot prove, have an interest in, but is also claimed by the Snows," the warrant said.

Warrant articles also a series of ordinance amendments and changes.

• propose using tax increment financing district funds for various targeted projects, as well as ordinance amendments affecting the Recreation Commitee Ordinance

• The Cemetery Ordinance: Changes include wording, such as adding, "closed to burials are Morse's Corner Cemetery and Butler Cemetery", as well as adjusting general maintenance to the Butler and Morse's Corner cemeteries.

• Exemption of eligible active duty military personnel from motor vehicle excise tax.

• Adjusting a fee schedule for the code enforcement officer to use with fines concerning dangerous buildings.

• Adjusting fees ($100) collected with applications for farmers markets,

• Amendment concerning the boarding and keeping of alpacas, rules governing their shelter, fencing, feed.

• Removal of language "excluding manufactured/mobile home" from sections of the land use ordinance.

• Permitting art galleries in the commercial district

• Changing the word "marijuana" throughout the ordinance to "cannabis", and adjusting language governing marijuana use and facilities (replace marijuana with the word cannabis, and the words "or medical" be added after the word "retail"

• Changing off street parking standards to govern automobile, truck and tractor repair and filling stations

• Revising residential rules governing accessory dwelling units to align with state rules.

• Revise rules governing manufactured and mobile homes.

• Revise rules governing site plan review.

• The town is asking voters to change its Maine Public Employees Retirement System to adopt Special Plan 3C for its eligible firefighters and emergency medical services employees. A yes vote would bring the town into compliance with state requirements for retirement benefits for certain public safety employees.

UNIONunion.maine.gov

Union’s Annual Town Meeting takes place June 10 at the polls, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the William L. Pullen Municipal Building Meeting Room.

At the polls, voters will consider two candidates running for one seat on the RSU 40 board. They are Erik Amundsen and Tim Wood. RSU 40 comprises Waldoboro, Warren, Friendship, Washington and Union K-12 public schools. Voters will also be asked whether to continue or terminate the referrendum process under which the annual budgets are currently adopted in favor of a public meeting.

And, voters will consider uncontested races: Adam Fuller, running unopposed for Select Board for a two-year term, and Wayne Kirkpatrick, running unopposed for a three-year term. John Shepard is seeking a seat on the Cemetery Trust Fund, and Anita Brown likewise is seeking election to the William L. Pullen Fund.

There is also a June 10 municipal ballot that includes the town warrant with 37 articles. Voters will consider multiple proposals on the warrant, including amending ordinances governing housing and short term rentals (if approved, they will require registration and town inspection), as well as stipulations for serving on the planning and zoning boards. The town is also proposing a KnoxBox ordinance (All commercial structures and all multi-residential structures other than duplex homes receiving a building permit on or after Oct. 1, 2015, shall be equipped with a KnoxBox brand high-security key vault keyed to the configuration set forth by the Union Fire & Rescue Chief).

Also on the ballot is a new ordinance governing use of camper vehicles for human habitation. "The purpose of this ordinance is to limit the use of camper vehicles and other non-permanent structures for human habitation because the Town of Union Select Board determines that their use in Town is deleterious to the health, safety, and welfare not only of the persons residing therein but, additionally, of the public at large," the ordinance states.

There is also a proposed peddler's ordinance.

The proposed Union 2025-2026 municipal budget is $4,331,158, up $106,728 from the current $4,437,886 budget.

Union is part of RSU 40 and this year, the proposed K-12 budget is $40,815,369. Union's share is anticipated to be $3,484,002.

VINALHAVEN
townofvinalhaven.org
Info TK

WALDOBOROwaldoboromaine.org

Waldoboro’s Annual Town Meeting will take place June 10 at the polls, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Waldoboro Municipal Building, 1600 Atlantic Highway (Route 1). Voters will consider electing two Select Board members for a three-year term from a slate of three. Candidates for the Select Board are William Bragg and Reuben Mahar. They will also choose between two candidates for one seat on the RSU 40 board, Danny Jackson and Sonja Sleeper. Two candidates running for seats on the Utility District and Budget Committee.

Voters will also consider approving a $40 million budget for RSU 40.Waldoboro's share will be $8,600,680. See RSU 40 budget information here. Voters will also be asked whether to continue or terminate the referrendum process under which the annual budgets are currently adopted in favor of a public meeting. RSU 40 comprises Waldoboro, Warren, Friendship, Washington and Union K-12 public schools.

Waldoboro has produced a comprehensive voter guide. The Town Meeting Warrant will be addressed entirely by secret ballot, and includes a $8.5 million municipal budget, up from the $8.2 million of 2024-2025 budget. However, the Budget Committee noted: "The Select Board and Budget Committee were presented with an initial budget that reflected a 27.76% net increase over last year. After much debate, the process of making reductions to line items, the use of unrestricted fund balance, and redirecting social service agency funding, we were able to present to you, the voters, a budget that will not create any tax increase and in fact reduces the tax burden of the Town portion of your taxes by .03 of a percent."

That was accomplished, in part by the: "Increase in Use of Unrestricted Fund Balance in the amount of $1,069,616 to offset any tax increase. This utilization brings the Town from a 108-day funding level to 75 days. This is in-between the target level of 60 days at the maximum level of 90 days."

The warrant includes articles:

• Shall the voters of the Town of Waldoboro adopt the Waldoboro Downtown Revitalization Master Plan? "Note: While originally accepted by the Waldoboro Select Board in 2011, the Downtown Revitalization Master Plan was never approved at a Town Meeting. By adopting the updated Master Plan, the Town can pursue grants specifically for investments in the downtown. The proposed plan uses most of the strategies and goals outlined in the 2011 plan, but it removes outdated materials, updates the projects for Waldoboro to pursue, and adjusts the boundary line.

• Sex Offender Residency Restriction Ordinance: "Shall the Town vote to adopt an ordinance entitled Sex Offender Residency Restriction Ordinance? This ordinance establishes a 2,500-foot buffer for residency near schools and other publicly owned property where children gather.?"

• Amendment to the Tax Increment Financing District Development Program to create an agreement to support an affordable housing development at 56 School Street.

WARRENwarrenmaine.org

Warren’s Annual Town Meeting will take place over two days, beginning June 10 at the polls, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Warren Masonic Hall, 105 Camden Road, where voters will consider electing one Select Board member for a three-year term and two members to the RSU 40 Board of Directors.

Nikos DeMaria runs unopposed for the open Select Board seat.

There are three candidates running for two seats on RSU 40. Rick Butler and Julie Swindler compete for open seat while Randy Kassa runs unopposed. The secret ballot also includes the $40.8 million RSU 40 budget validation. Warren's share is anticipated to be $6,309,036, up $177,543 or 2.90 percent from the current budget.

Voters will also be asked whether to continue or terminate the referrendum process under which the annual budgets are currently adopted in favor of a public meeting.

The 2025 Town Meeting will reconvene June 17, again at the Masonic Hall, where seven members will be elected to the Budget Committe and two Fish Wardens will be elected.

The municipal warrant includes the town's proposed budget, as amendments to the Georges River Regional Shellfish Management Ordinance that would further clarify rules for shellfish license holders.

Warren's proposed 2025-2026 municipal budget is $4.57 million, up $332,462, or 7.84 percent from the current budget of $4.24 million. With revenues anticipated to total $2.4 million, Warren looks to raise approximately $2 million from taxpayers to fund its budget.

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