The Morning Sentinel

PALERMO

March 16

Town clerk reports low voter turnout

BY MARY GROW, Correspondent

PALERMO -- Voters at Saturday's sparsely attended town meeting approved all proposed municipal expenditures and town policies for 2010 as presented by town officials.

New items included amendments to the shoreland zoning ordinance and map, and a request for $10,000 to enlarge Hannan cemetery.

Major items, such as $340,000 for road maintenance, $175,000 for paving, $141,920 for municipal wages, $24,800 for the Town Office and $65,900 for town charges -- utilities, insurance, staff training and other Town Office expenditures -- were approved with little or no dissent after questions were answered.

The official count showed 74 voters at Saturday's meeting, a turnout Town Clerk Sheila McCarty thinks might be a record low.

Palermo teacher Brian Wedge and five of this year's eighth-graders gave a presentation on their planned May trip to Washington, D.C., and asked voters to approve a $6,000 donation toward the 2011 trip for current seventh-graders. Voters granted the money.

The longest debates, almost an hour in total, were about two articles funding in-town and out-of-town charitable and social service organizations.

Voters increased the stipend for Palermo Youth Activities from $3,000 to $4,000.

They refused to reduce the Palermo Days request from $3,000 to $2,500 in partial compensation, but denied funds to Pine Tree Chapter of the American Red Cross -- after residents said other chapters serve Palermo -- Kennebec Behavioral Health, Liberty Baptist Food Bank, Pen Bay Medical Center outpatient psychiatry, Waldo County YMCA and United Way, for a total reduction of $2,405.

The Children's Center in Augusta and Waldo Community Action Partners almost lost all or some funding, too, until spokespeople explained what the organizations do and how many Palermo families they assist.