Councilor Hager reported that the Finance Committee met on May 31 and discussed being slightly ahead on revenues and under on expenses in this quarter. The next Finance Committee meeting is on June 25.
Councilor Stelk stated that the Senior Land Use planner has been invited to attend the workshop on growth in Gorham and will hopefully give a brief presentation on a new 3-D software program to help get a handle on our projected growth in Gorham.
Chairman Hartwell reminded everyone about the new recycling rules and a new fact sheet on what is recyclable is available in the Town Clerk’s office or online at www.gorham-me.org.
Councilor Hager asked the Council if it was a conflict of interest for him to participate in the Vote for the School Budget as his son is an employee of the School Department. The Council voted to let Councilor Hager participate in the School Budget Vote.
The following school budget items will be adopted and approved for 2018-2019 fiscal year:
| $17,411,436 | Regular Instruction |
| $5,978,034 | Special Education |
| $50,000 | Career/Technical Edu. |
| $907,355 | Other Instruction |
| $2,982,067 | Student/Staff Support |
| $1,182,852 | System Administration |
| $2,037,631 | School Administration |
| $1,887,848 | Transportation/Buses |
| $3,551,735 | Facilities Maintenance |
| $2,707,688 | Debt Service/Commitments |
| $0 | All Other Expenditures |
$38,696,646 was appropriated for the total cost of funding Gorham public education from K-12 and $13,378,358 will be raised as the municipality’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from K-12.
$618,409 will be raised and appropriated for the annual payments on debt service approved by the municipality’s legislative body for non-state-funded school construction projects, non-state-funded portions of school construction projects in addition to the funds appropriated as the local share of the municipality’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from K-12.
The School Committee is authorized to expend $38,696,646 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2018 and ending June 30, 2019 from the municipality’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from K-12, non-state-funded school construction projects, additional local funds for school purposes under the Maine Revised Statutes, unexpended balances, tuition receipts, state subsidy and other receipts for the support of schools.
The Town will appropriate $245,860 for adult education and raise $75,822 as the local share.
$5,989,411 will be raised and appropriated in additional local funds which is required to fund the budget recommended by the School Committee.
The School Committee recommends $5,989,411 for additional local funds and gives the following reasons for exceeding the State’s Essential Programs and Services funding model by $5,989,411. The State’s funding model does not support all of the costs of the schools because it includes only those costs considered essential by the new State Essential Programs and Services (EPS) model.
Explanation: The additional local funds are those locally raised funds over and above the municipality’s local contribution to the total cost of funding public education from Kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services funding Act and local amounts raised for the annual payment on non-state funded debt service that will help achieve the School Department budget for educational programs
The Town Council adopted the 2018-2019 Fiscal Year Budget with the following departmental totals:
| $1,644,874 | General Government |
| $4,362,213 | Public Safety |
| $2,716,969 | Public Works/Solid Waste/Engineering & Insp Services |
| $57,600 | Health & Welfare and Social Service Agencies |
| $550,487 | Recreation/Community Center/Cable |
| $489,261 | Libraries and Museum |
| $79,153 | Development |
| $1,800,707 | Debt & Interest |
| $178,431 | Capital Items |
| $2,501,608 | Insurance and Employee Benefits |
| $411,710 | Other Town Services and Unclassified |
| $14,793,013 | Subtotal |
| $1,169,303 | Cumberland County Property Tax |
| $15,962,316 | Total |
| $6,776,222 | Non-Property Tax Revenues |
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, 2018 shall commence bearing interest on November 16, 2018, and that the final half of all real estate and personal property taxes that remain unpaid on May 15, 2019, shall commence bearing interest on May 16, 2019 at the interest rate of 8.0% per annum as authorized by Maine Law until paid and collected and the Tax Collector and Treasurer are authorized to collect and receive thereof.
The Town Council authorized the Finance Director to accept prepayment of real estate and personal property taxes.
An interest rate of 3.0% per annum to be paid on all real estate and personal property taxes rebated due to overpayment of taxes was established.
The Town Council now requires 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. The order will remain in effect until rescinded by the Municipal Officers. (5 yeas, 2 nays: Smith, Phillips)
The Town Manager was nominated for a year term on MMA’s Legislative Policy Committee.
The Town Council asked the Ordinance Committee to consider developing an amendment to the Land Use & Development Code, which would increase the minimum lot size for new lots in the rural district. (4 yeas, 3 nays: Smith, Hartwell, Phillips)
Complete minutes are available on the town’s website at gorham-me.org.