WOODLAND, Maine — Residents of Woodland passed a slightly more than $1 million budget for 2018 during the annual town meeting on March 20 in the Woodland Consolidated School gymnasium.
Roughly 15 residents attended the meeting, which began with the election of Harold Tardy as moderator and subsequent official announcement of election results. Voters elected Tom Drew to serve a three year term on the board of selectmen; Lance Albair and Deborah McPherson, each to a three year term on the school board; and Peter McCorrison to a one year term on the school board.
According to the Town of Woodland Annual Report, the 2018 tax commitment is $1,012,906.04, or $58,721.34 higher than last year, with a $56,221.34 increase in total appropriations and assessments over last year and an estimated $2,500 reduction in total estimated revenues.
While voters passed the majority of warrant articles without question, residents had brief discussions with selectmen regarding a few funding items, including Northern Maine Development Commission dues, social services, and the road maintenance reserve account.
A man in the audience asked the selectmen what Woodland gets in return for paying NMDC $2080.34 in annual dues.
“Our playground,” responded a woman from the audience.
Drew said that, in paying dues, the town can utilize NMDC’s grant writing abilities, and that a grant is currently being written for the town.
“What’s the grant you’re writing now for?” another resident asked.
“We’re looking at digging up the fuel tanks across the road [where the town office is located],” said Drew. “We’re hoping we can get a grant and cost share 75 percent of that project.”
Before voting in favor of spending $3,980 for various social services, including for the Aroostook Area Agency on Aging, Sister Mary O’Donnell Shelter, the Woodland Cemetery Association, and the American Red Cross, a Woodland man asked why $800 was being appropriated for the homeless shelter, while the town was asking $2,304 for the Central Aroostook Humane Society.
“Is it possible to change those numbers?” A local resident asked. “We give $800 for the homeless, but $2,300 for cats and dogs. We could at least match what we’re giving for cats and dogs to what we’re spending on homeless people.”
Drew said this was a “valid comment,” and Selectman Will Barnum added that it was “not an unreasonable request.”
A woman from the audience added that she is happy the town supports these social programs, especially the Aroostook Area Agency on Aging, which “Caribou doesn’t support anymore.”
“One thing we consider is taxpayer savings,” said Barnum. “We have a substantial number of people who actually receive services through ACAP and the Agency on Aging, and I’m sure there are people who receive services from the shelter, but we don’t have a number on that. This is about the residents of the town receiving the biggest bang for their buck.”
Moderator Harold Tardy added that the amount given to the Central Aroostook Humane Society is based on the town’s population, and Drew said he would consider the man’s request in the future.
“These are tough decisions,” said Drew. “We all live in the same tough world and try to be as frugal as possible, but you have a very good point.”
Another audience member asked about the amount of money in the town’s road maintenance reserve account, which is $307,109.66 this year, $166,999.66 higher than last year.
“Any plans to spend that money?” he asked.
“I think the town’s better off with money in reserve,” said Drew. “You can spend yourself down to the dollar, but I think we’ve been successful as a town because we’ve been able to keep money in the bank and I think that’s something to be proud of.”
“If you look back through the last three or four years,” said Barnum, “it had been going down steadily.”
“That money could be used for emergencies,” added Selectman Carl Grant. “We would have to have a town meeting for approval to spend that money.”
“A reserve is a good thing to have,” the man from the audience agreed. “It’s just a large reserve in relation to the [$340,800 public works budget] you’re funding. I guess what I’m saying is, are you gonna pave my road?”
He, and the audience, laughed at the remark, and Drew said if any roads are paved it will come out of the public works budget, not the reserve.
“But seriously,” continued the resident, “you could do about 12 miles of chipseal. It’s just that if you have that much in proportion to the budget, you should spend some at some point.”
“And we have been,” said Barnum. “We’ve been tapping into that to fund the highway budget, but we don’t want to continue to eat that budget.”
Grant added that the late John Noble donated a paving machine last year, which the town is hoping to use.
“We might get to your road sooner than later,” said Grant.
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- Woodland Selectmen Tom Drew, left, Carl Grant, and William Barnum address questions from residents during a March 20 annual meeting held in the Woodland Consolidated School gymnasium. (Christopher Bouchard)
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- Harold Tardy was elected to moderate the Town of Woodland’s March 20 annual meeting, in which residents voted forward an annual budget with a $1,012,906.04 tax commitment. (Christopher Bouchard)
