March 6

Smithfield Selectmen to seek input on fiscal calendar during Town Meeting Saturday

By Rachel Ohm rohm@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

SMITHFIELD -- Selectmen are asking residents about whether the town should follow a fiscal calendar that aligns with state, county and school district schedules.

Voters will be asked to participate in a nonbinding vote about whether to switch from a fiscal year of Feb. 1 to Jan. 31 to one that runs from July 1 to June 30. The vote will be taken during the annual Town Meeting at 7 p.m. Saturday.

They also will be asked to vote on a proposed municipal budget of $724,088. The current municipal budget is about $730,100, said Nicole Clark, administrative assistant to the Board of Selectmen.

"There are not a whole lot of rising costs. Last year's proposed budget at town meeting was higher because we knew we would be taking out bonds for road repairs, but the actual money spent was not much different," she said.

A fiscal calendar that runs from July 1 to June 30 would be the same calendar that is used by the school district, state and county and would make it easier to do the town's budget, said Clark.

"Of course everybody is sort of in the dark this year because of the governor's proposals but this would make budgeting easier," said Clark.

If Gov. Paul LePage's proposed two-year suspension of municipal revenue sharing is passed, she said, the town could lose $70,000 in funding.

Selectmen are recommending a switch to the new calendar and would look into how to make the switch if the suggestion is favored at town meeting, said Clark.

Elections will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the town office. There are no contested races.

Rachel Ohm -- 612-2368
rohm@mainetoday.com

Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form

Send question/comment to the editors




Further Discussion

Here at OnlineSentinel.com we value our readers and are committed to growing our community by encouraging you to add to the discussion. To ensure conscientious dialogue we have implemented a strict no-bullying policy. To participate, you must follow our Terms of Use.

Questions about the article? Add them below and we’ll try to answer them or do a follow-up post as soon as we can. Technical problems? Email them to us with an exact description of the problem. Make sure to include:
  • Type of computer or mobile device your are using
  • Exact operating system and browser you are viewing the site on (TIP: You can easily determine your operating system here.)


Most…