Buckfield sets dates for town meeting

BUCKFIELD — The 2011 annual town meeting dates were set by the Buckfield Board of Selectmen Tuesday.

The town meetings — parts one and two — will be at 8 a.m. on both Tuesday, June 14 and Saturday, June 18, at which time citizens will vote on the annual budget, as well as elect a selectman.

"It would be the Saturday after any election that would occur for the state," noted Town Manager Glen Holmes.

The first meeting will be held at the polls, and will consist of electing a selectman. The second meeting will be to discuss and vote on any items that are on the town warrant, such as a budget.

The board approved the dates and time unanimously.

The three-year term currently held by John Lowell is set to expire in June, as Lowell was elected to fill a vacancy created by Floyd "Chip" Richardson, who resigned last year.

Other matters that will come before the citizenry include the PACE green energy ordinance, a program which would allow area residents to take out loans to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

Residents have also indicated that they may submit a petition which would allow the town to vote on whether to expand the size of the board from three to five members, a measure that the board recently declined to endorse.

In other news, resident Joyce Hartson asked the board to communicate with the SAD 39 school district about the difficult position Buckfield taypayers are in.

"The school budget is a big percentage [of the local property tax assessment]," she said.  She asked that the board communicate with the district directly, "to let them know how hard you're working, how much you're cutting."

Holmes noted that the SAD 39 district is also in a tough financial position.

"They're looking at a number of things that are going to be detrimental to their revenue as well," said Holmes. "They're not going to be getting the same kind of aid that they have in the past."

Chair John Lowell said that an invitation would be extended to school administrators to discuss the situation.

Edited on February 18, 2011 to correct the identifying number of the school district to 39.