WOODLAND, Maine — Woodland selectmen, in their first public selectboard meeting since the pandemic hit, set the mill rate and appointed a chairman on July 21.
The meeting was held in the town garage, with residents wearing masks while sitting in spaced folding chairs.
The town had held a public meeting on June 30 to approve the school budget and a town meeting on June 18 to approve the municipal budget. These meetings were held in the town office parking lot with residents spaced apart outside and officials using a microphone and public address system.
Newly elected Selectman Scott Dow moved to appoint Tom Drew as the chairperson and Will Barnum seconded the motion — electing Drew as the chairperson for this year.
The board agreed to set the mill rate at 23.5, a 1.25 increase over last year’s rate of 22.25. This year the municipal budget and school budget increased by about $100,000 each.
Increased fees for ambulance services to the city of Caribou had a notable impact on the municipal budget. And while the city reduced their fees for fire services, the net result is a $65,249 increase for the two services.
And while several cuts were made in the school budget, secondary education alone increased by $159,342 this year.
Drew said the impact on the overall mill rate would have been much higher if significant cuts hadn’t been made.
“Between the school and here there could’ve been a 5-mill increase,” said the chairman, “and we got it down to a mill and a half increase in the middle of a pandemic. I’d say that’s pretty good.”
