Wellfleet voters will decide 21 ballot questions, all of which will raise taxes if passed

WELLFLEET – The town election ballot is a meaty one on Monday. Voters have 21 ballot questions, 10 of them Proposition 2 ½ overrides and 11 of them debt exclusions.

If all the overrides pass, the town will be able to assess an additional $1.7 million in real and personal property taxes to fund the operating budget, four new full-time positions, a preschool voucher and school lunch program, make the elementary school compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and fund a feasibility study for the adult community center.

Included in the debt exclusions are costs associated with installing a water main to Maurice’s Campground, the design and construction of a wastewater system there, the cost of an ambulance and pickup truck, maintenance dredging, a marina master plan, and innovative/alternative septic system subsidies.

Majority votes are required for the passage of overrides and debt exclusions at town election.

Wellfleet Town Meeting warrant Read the warrant here

Ryan Curley and Jeanne MacLauchlan are vying for one Select Board seat.

There are only two contested races. Incumbent Ryan Curley and Jeanne MacLauchlan are vying for one Select Board seat. Curley has been on the board for three years, the last two as chairman. A Wellfleet native and freelance consultant, he is pursuing a master of public administration degree at Suffolk University.

"We’ve accomplished a lot in three years," Curley said in a telephone interview.

He cited the work with the state Department of Revenue to straighten out the town’s financial records, restructuring the financial offices to include a finance director and part-time accountant, and a commitment to follow through on the state’s recommendations going forward.

He said the board has juggled many large projects, including the Herring River salt marsh restoration project and a targeted watershed management plan that was submitted to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Curley has shepherded through housing initiatives, including the purchase of Maurice’s Campground to provide affordable housing to Wellfleet residents and town workers, he said. He is chairman of the planning committee for the campground.

He calls wastewater issues another significant challenge facing town residents. A proposed water/wastewater supervisor would be able to apply for grants that decrease the cost to taxpayers, he said.

“We need a plan to protect people as much as possible from the costs they will have to bear,” Curley said.

He thinks towns will have to consider regionalizing some services to account for workforce shortages and employee turnover. He cited building inspectors as an example.

MacLauchlan said she entered the race to give voters a choice.

Retired town principal clerk Jeanne MacLauchlan worked in the administrator’s office in Wellfleet for 22 years. She said she was responsible for all kinds of licensing, Select Board correspondence, and making sure the members were aware of what was and wasn’t happening. She entered the race to give voters a choice of candidates, she said.

Town finances are a top priority for MacLauchlan. She called the town warrant out of control for having 21 ballot questions for overrides and debt exclusions.

“The town needs to be more fiscally responsible,” she said. “We need to be stable financially before we jump into big ticket items."

The purchase of Maurice’s Campground for $6 million is just the beginning of what has to be spent to make any kind of affordable housing, she said.

She doesn’t understand why the town got into such a financial mess, because the Select Board had information for years from the auditors and state revenue department that indicated problems.

“I would just pay more attention. I would be more open-minded. I would try to have a better balance,” MacLauchlan said.

Charles Annett and Richard Davis are on the ballot to serve the remaining two years on one cemetery commission slot.

The election will be held on May 1. Polls will open from noon to 7 p.m. at the adult community center at 715 Old Kings Highway.

Contact Denise Coffey at dcoffey@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @DeniseCoffeyCCT.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: One contested race, 21 questions, tax increases on election ballot