REPORT OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF GORHAM TOWN COUNCIL
May 11, 2004
The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
Roll Call: Present: Chairman Loveitt; Councilors Dugas, Justice, Phinney, Robinson, Justice and Willett; Town Manager David Cole and Town Clerk Brenda Caldwell.
The meeting recessed for a public hearing on the 2004-2005 Fiscal Year Budget. There were 32 citizens present at the start of the hearing. Thirteen spoke in favor of adding funds to the School Budget; one requested help for the North Gorham Library and one spoke in favor of adding funds to the Fire Department. The public hearing closed at 7:55 p.m.
Item #6972. The order, as read aloud by the Clerk was moved by Councilor Dugas and seconded by Councilor Justice.
Moved by Councilor Justice, seconded by Councilor Willett and VOTED to amend the proposed order by adding $49,590 in state subsidies to the School Department Budget. 7 yeas.
Moved by Councilor Phinney, seconded by Councilor Robinson and VOTED to amend the proposed order by deleting $33,750 from the Social Services Account, leaving only the Gorham Health Council funded. 6 yeas. 1 nay (Willett).
Moved by Councilor Phinney, seconded by Councilor Justice and VOTED to amend the proposed order by adding $7,647 to repair the Little Falls Tennis courts. 7 yeas.
Moved by Councilor Phinney, seconded by Councilor Justice and VOTED to amend the proposed order by adding $10,140 to the Police Department budget to increase the working hours of the Police Department Detective Office Assistant to 37 ½ hours. 4 yeas. 3 nays (Dugas, Robinson and Hamblen).
Moved by Councilor Phinney, seconded by Councilor Dugas and VOTED to amend the proposed order by adding $2,500 for the North Gorham Library Association. 7 yeas.
Moved by Councilor Phinney, seconded by Councilor Dugas and VOTED to amend the proposed order by increasing the Code Enforcement Office budget by $6,000 to reclassify Assistant Code Officer to Building Inspector. 6 yeas. 1 nay (Hamblen).
Moved by Councilor Justice, seconded by Councilor Dugas and VOTED to amend the proposed order by reallocating $48,000 in capital projects - Road Projects to the Fire Department for (1) $15,000 for independent study; (2) $13,000 for the White Rock Fire Station roof and (3) $20,000 for vehicle maintenance. 5 yeas. 2 nays (Willett and Hamblen).
The Chairman declared a short recess. The meeting reconvened at 9:15 p.m.
Moved by Councilor Justice, seconded by Councilor Dugas and VOTED to amend the proposed order by adding $3,512 to the Public Works budget to increase the Secretary/Receptionist to 40 hours per week. 5 yeas. 2 nays (Robinson and Hamblen).
Moved by Councilor Justice, seconded by Councilor Dugas and VOTED to amend the proposed order by deleting the words “State” and “Local Share” from the fifth paragraph of the order. 7 yeas.
Prior to the above vote a motion by Councilor Robinson to amend the proposed budget by deleting $21,000 for the new position in the Code Enforcement Budget failed due to lack of second.
A motion by Councilor Justice, seconded by Councilor Willett to amend the proposed order by adding $90,000 for two additional Firefighter/EMT’s to the Fire Department Budget FAILED OF PASSAGE. 3 yeas. 4 nays (Loveitt, Phinney, Robinson and Hamblen).
A motion by Councilor Robinson, seconded by Councilor Phinney to amend the proposed order by decreasing the School Department budget so that there would be a $779,252 increase over last year’s budget (reduction of $166,489) FAILED OF PASSAGE 3 yeas. 4 nays (Dugas, Willett, Justice and Loveitt).
The question was moved by Councilor Phinney, seconded by Councilor Hamblen and VOTED. 6 yeas. 1 nay (Justice).
The order, as amended, was then VOTED resulting in the following:
ORDERED that the Town council vote to adopt the 2004-2005 Fiscal Year Budget with the following departmental totals:
General Government $1,007,204
Public Safety $2,696,132
Public Works and Solid Waste $1,987,633
Health & Welfare and Social Service Agencies $ 67,818
Recreation/Community Center/Cable $ 299,942
Libraries and Museum $ 392,749
Planning and Development $ 244,634
Debt & Interest $ 595,172
Capital Items $ 280,442
Insurance $1,732,793
Other Town Services and Unclassified $ 112,691
Education $24,889,443
Cumberland County Property Tax $ 659,977
$34,966,630
BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that the Gorham Town council authorize the Gorham School Committee to expend during the fiscal period July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005 for support of the public schools $24,889,443 and additional operating expenditures which may result from Federal, State or other grants and subsidies not requiring local taxation; and
BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that the Town of Gorham authorize the School Committee to expend for the fiscal year July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005 from the foundation allocation, debt service allocation, unexpended balances, and other sources of revenues and receipts for the support of schools and adult education, a total of $12,301,157; that the Town Council raise and appropriate a local share of the foundation allocation of $8,062,847 including local share of debt service $371,432 and additional local funds of $4,525,439 including $139,988 for adult education; that the revenues from the state allocation of $11,608,225, balances and miscellaneous receipts of $625,932, which includes a transfer of $150,000 from the Middle School Impact Fee account to be applied towards the Middle School Project debt
service; and that adult education subsidy and fees of $67,000.00 be used for education purposes. This budget does not include the estimated amount of $1,789,691 in employer share of teacher retirement costs that is paid directly by the State.
The total budget to be $34,966,630. This total less estimated credits of $17,158,525, a transfer from the TIF Fund’s Industrial Park TIF Fund Balance of $63,000, a transfer from the Capital Equipment Reserve Fund’s Undesignated Fund Balance of $66,933 and a transfer from Special Revenue Funds School Operations Undesignated Fund Balance of $370,932 result in a Net Appropriation of $17,307,240, which shall be raised by assessment on the estates of resident and nonresident property owners in the Town of Gorham, and
BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that the Town council vote to authorize the transfer of bond refunding savings in the amount of $145,933.55 from the General Fund Miscellaneous Revenue account to the Capital Project Reserve Fund, Road Projects account; the reallocation of the Capital Project Reserve Fund’s Tire Pile Cleanup account in the amount of $500.00, New Portland Road account in the amount of $5,146.28, Landfill Closeout account in the amount of $4,646.60, and New Traffic Lights account in the amount of $28,953.99 for a total of $39,246.87 to the Capital Project Reserve Fund, State Road Projects - Local Share account, and
BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that all taxes on real estate and personal property shall be due and payable upon approval of this Order and that one-half of all real estate and personal property taxes that remain unpaid on November 15, 2004 shall commence bearing interest on November 16, 2004, and that the final half of all real estate and personal property taxes that remain unpaid on May 15, 2005, shall commence bearing interest on May 16, 2005 at the interest rate of 6.5% per annum as authorized by Maine Law until paid and collected and the Tax Collector and Treasurer are authorized to collect and receive thereof; and
BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that the Town Council authorizes the Finance Director to accept prepayment of real and personal property taxes; and
BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that pursuant to Title 36, M.R.S.A., Section 506A, the Town Council establishes an interest rate of 2.50% per annum to be paid on all real estate and personal property taxes rebated due to overpayment of taxes; and
BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that pursuant to Title 36, M.R.S.A., Section 906, the Town Council hereby requires and directs that any tax payment received from an individual as payment for any property tax be applied against outstanding or delinquent taxes due on that property in chronological order beginning with the oldest unpaid tax bill, provided, however, that no such payment shall be applied to any tax for which an abatement application or appeal is pending unless approved in writing by the taxpayer. This order shall remain in effect until rescinded by the Municipal Officers. 5 yeas. 2 nays (Hamblen and Robinson)
Moved by Councilor Phinney, seconded by Councilor Dugas and VOTED to adjourn. Time of adjournment 9:40 p.m.
A TRUE RECORD OF MEETING
Attest: D. Brenda Caldwell, Town Clerk
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