School budget, fire rescue vehicle: Kittery voters face local issues in June 14 election

KITTERY, Maine — Local issues dominate the town meeting and school ballot voters will see Tuesday, though numerous state and regional political figures will also be listed as part of the Maine state primary election.

The town meeting, school budget validation referendum and state primary election will be Tuesday, June 14 in the Kittery Community Center gymnasium, with the polls running from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Here’s what Kittery voters should know ahead of casting their ballots:

School district proposing 3.6% budget increase in fiscal year 2021

Adopted by the Town Council in May, the town’s school district budget for fiscal year 2023 will go before voters in a validation referendum.

Just shy of $20 million, the Kittery school district’s proposed budget is a $695,870 or 3.61% increase from the FY 2022 budget, which was nearly $19.3 million.

If the budget is approved, four school positions would be added to the district payroll and a technologist position at the Shapleigh School would be upgraded to full-time.

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At Shapleigh School, three education technician positions would be added, in addition to a human resources generalist in the district’s central office.

The sole district position cut in the FY 2023 budget proposal is a Mitchell Primary School kindergarten teacher position, which is being eliminated through attrition.

The exact school district FY 2023 budget figure on the town ballot is $19,980,622, which would require a tax revenue contribution of over $17.5 million from Kittery taxpayers.

Property tax relief for seniors on the ballot

Article 8 on Tuesday’s town meeting ballot is focused on tax relief for Kittery's senior taxpayers. The article asks voters whether the Town Council should transfer up to $50,000 from the town’s unassigned funds balance for Kittery’s Senior Tax Credit program.

Residents at least 70 years old, who have lived in Kittery for a minimum of 10 consecutive years, and whose annual income must not exceed 300% of the federal poverty level, are eligible to apply. Applicants may qualify for a property tax credit of up to $1,000 per household.

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According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the 2022 federal poverty income level for a single-person household is $13,590. It's $18,310 for a two-person household.

Applications to the town’s Senior Tax Credit program are accepted until July 1. Approved applicants will receive the credit applied to their real estate taxes Oct. 1.

Article 8 is supported by all seven members of the Kittery Town Council, according to a sample ballot. The town’s unassigned fund balance is currently $8,131,323.

Town looks to cover fuel account shortfalls

Voters will be asked if they support the transfer of unassigned funds to cover town departments’ fuel accounts amid an “unpredictable” pricing market, according to a sample ballot.

If Article 5, which is supported by the entire Town Council, is approved by voters, the Town Council would transfer up to $40,000 from the unassigned funds balance to cover fuel shortfalls, when necessary.

“The purpose of this article is to provide departments, who have exhausted their allocated fuel budgets in the fiscal year, access to funds for fuel needs,” reads the sample ballot. “The Town Council favored keeping the fiscal year fuel and utility accounts as low as possible, with this article making available surplus funds as a safety net in case of an unstable market for fuel.”

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Replacing fire rescue vehicle four years ahead of schedule

Article 9 asks voters for up to $460,000 from the unassigned funds balance toward replacement of the Kittery Fire Department’s aging Rescue 3 fire rescue vehicle.

Purchased in 2001, the current apparatus was scheduled for replacement in FY 2026 for more than $770,000 through town capital improvement spending.

During the latest annual safety and maintenance inspection, however, the rear of the apparatus’ frame was found to be severely corroded.

“Repairs have been made to keep the vehicle safe for operating in the short-term; but the repairs will not last four years (FY 2026),” the town’s sample ballot says. “The purpose of this article is to allow the town to replace the fire apparatus now and avoid a reduction in service response from the Fire Department.”

Kittery’s Fire Apparatus Holding Account already has a balance of $288,591.

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No primary contests on Kittery ballot for federal, state and county races

No Democratic or Republican candidates on the ballot face competition in the primary.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, and Republican challenger Paul LePage, a former governor, will both advance to the November general election without a primary contest. The same is true for District 1 U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree and Republican challenger Edwin Thelander.

In the local Maine District 35 state Senate race, Sen. Mark Lawrence, D-Eliot, and Republican challenger Julie Rakic, both have no opponent in the primary.

Maine House races on Kittery ballots also feature no primary contests. This includes incumbent District 1 state Rep. Kristi Mathieson, D-Kittery, who will face Republican Kittery candidate Howard Patten in November, as well as District 150 incumbent Rep. Michele Meyer, D-Eliot, who will face Republican David Rumery.

Current York County Sheriff William King Jr. is running for reelection on the Democratic primary ballot, while Hollis resident Roger Hicks represents Republicans.

Three incumbent Democrat regional officeholders face no primary opponent and no Republican opponent in November: They are District Attorney Kathryn Slattery, York County Registrar Nancy Hammond and York County Treasurer Bobby Mills.

The sample ballot for the town meeting, school budget validation referendum and state primary election can be found on the town's website: kitteryme.gov

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Maine 2022 primary: What Kittery voters should know