Board vows to pinch pennies

BUCKFIELD — Citizens in Buckfield have begun making noise about municipal taxes, causing town leaders to pledge to hold the line on spending.

"Trust me," said John Lowell, chair of the board of selectmen, "we're going to be squeezing pennies like you read about."

Brian Bennett read a written statement to the board of selectmen, in which he blasted the town for a lack of employee efficiency.

"We need to start being more efficient with management and operations in this town," said Bennett. "Taxes are probably going to continue to increase. We need to do all we can to ensure that these increases are as small as we can make them."

Vivian Wadas submitted a list of questions to the town's budget committee, appending an eight-year comparison that demonstrated that Buckfield's mill rate significantly exceeds state averages, as well as the mill rate of other area towns.

"On average, is it more expensive to run Buckfield than it is the County, the State?" asked Wadas.

According to her report, Buckfield's eight-year average mill rate was $15.54, well above the averages of West Paris, Peru, Hiram, Otisfield, and Waterford. The towns were chosen, wrote Wadas, because they are the only towns in Oxford County with comparable population sizes.

Waterford's average mill rate was the lowest, at $9.96, while West Paris was the second-highest, with $13.22.

For the year 2008, Buckfield's mill rate was $14.80, while the average in Oxford County as a whole was $11.08, slightly lower than the state average of $11.60.

"Why do you think Buckfield's average is $2.70 more than the entire state average?" asked Wadas.

Town Manager Glen Holmes submitted a preliminary response to the board, which primarily asked the board for direction on whether to undertake the research needed to answer the questions.

During the board meeting, town leaders responded to Bennett's statements with a discussion about their own hopes for the town's budget.

"Everybody's expected to do more for less. I think we as a community need to look at that too," said Selectman Robin Buswell. "I think some of our services have maybe gotten a little bit out of hand too."

When asked for a response, Holmes said that he is pleased with recent reforms that the board has implemented.

"I would thank this board for what they've done in the last 90 days to give me the ability to make some changes that need to be made," said Holmes.

Selectwoman Eileen Hotham said that much of the local taxes are directed to the school and county.

"As far as taxes go, I can't say it's all the town," said Hotham. "We have the school and we have county taxes that we have no control over. I understand the townspeople think it's all the town.  I think we've gone up 60 percent in 12 years just in school [taxes]."

Hotham expressed a desire to "keep on an even keel."

Selectman John Lowell said that the town has to turn the page on the past, and work together for a solution.

"Actions with us are going to speak louder than words. I'm not going to sit here and defend the past in any way, shape or form," said Lowell. "From here forward, we've got clear direction. ... This group right here are very united in our goals here to tighten this ship up and make this the best we possibly can."