FARMINGTON — The Select Board approved updated totals Tuesday for a proposed six‑month budget that is to go before voters March 23. The board also scheduled the next town meeting for May 11 and elected a member to the Franklin County Budget Advisory Committee.
Total appropriations were set at $7,454,258, down from the previously proposed $7.48 million. With an estimated $1.58 million in revenue, the net amount to be raised through taxation would be $5,898,250.
The estimated property tax rate needed to raise the $5.89 million would be $5.49 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
The six-month budget is designed to shift Farmington from budgeting for a calendar year to a fiscal year that would run from July 1 to June 30. Many other governments, including the state, school district, county and most larger Maine communities, use the July‑to‑June cycle, as do several of the town’s contracts and services, such as MaineHealth Emergency Medical Services, the Maine Public Employees Retirement System and fuel agreements.
The Select Board made a series of small adjustments to the proposed budget, adding $12,288 for items such as copier overages, streetlights and limited access to TRIO software, a municipal accounting system the town has been phasing out.
Some additions covered items inadvertently left out of the proposal, including mobile Wi‑Fi hotspots for police cruisers, while others reflected increased costs for services, such as cellphone plans.
Another unexpected expense is the first half of the bond interest payment on the Farmington Community Center project, a total of $15,707 that will be due in May instead of November.
The building’s renovation project is nearing completion, and staff members have already moved back into the space. The town held an open house Thursday.
The small increases were more than offset by a $50,860 cut to the Farmington Police Department’s proposed budget. The reduction, already reviewed and approved by the Budget Committee, reflects the removal of three months of a patrol officer’s salary and two months of a detective’s salary, along with associated benefits.
Those positions are now vacant, making the cut relatively painless because the town is already two months into the year. The board and Chief Kenneth Charles of the Farmington Police Department also discussed the challenges in hiring and retaining officers.
“We do get thin when people take days off and when we try to get them to training,” Charles said. “I feel like we’re kind of holding our own, but, again, everything’s tenuous, too. You lose somebody and all of a sudden the apple cart is upset.”
The board discussed the town’s benefit package for officers and how it aligns with other agencies across Maine.
An expense not included in the six‑month budget is the town’s share of a new computer‑assisted dispatch, or CAD, system. While most of the cost will be covered by the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funding, local departments that use the CAD system are expected to contribute about $90,000 toward startup costs.
Farmington’s share is $24,339 — $17,373 for the upfront cost and $6,965 in ongoing costs. The Select Board chose to carry forward unspent department funds from the previous year rather than have the expense fall on the six‑month budget.
“I’d like to thank everybody,” Board Chair Matthew Smith said after the budget had been set. “This has been a weird season. I know we’re getting ready to start it over again, but I’d like to thank everybody for this.”
The town meeting to set the six‑month budget is scheduled for March 23 at 7 p.m. at the Community Center.
Voting is set for noon to 5 p.m. The board agreed to a request from the clerk to shorten voting hours because each candidate is running unopposed.
Incumbents Richard Morton and Dennis O’Neil are seeking the two three‑year seats on the Select Board, and J. Wayne Kinney, an incumbent, and Christina Lynch Bobrow are running unopposed for the two three‑year seats on the Regional School Unit 9 board of directors.
The board also set a second town meeting for May 11. At the meeting, the town is expected to set a budget for the fiscal year running from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.
The board discussed holding the meeting in April — the preferred month going forward — but decided that because the next budget process will not begin until March 12, a later town meeting would be acceptable this year.
Town officials are researching whether Select Board members could serve until July 1 rather than ending their terms at the town meeting. The distinction is tied largely to the Franklin County Budget Advisory Committee, or FCBAC, which includes members of the Select Board.
The board also held a brief caucus to elect this year’s FCBAC “floating” member. The committee consists of two members from each of the five commissioner districts, plus an eleventh member who rotates among the districts each year.
This year, the floating member comes from District 2, which includes the portion of Farmington east of the Sandy River. The board elected Scott Landry to serve in the seat on the FCBAC.
