JAY — Regional School Unit 73 board of directors elections and budget ratification referendums are set for 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, in the three towns of the Spruce Mountain School District, in conjunction with their annual town meetings.
Residents will cast ballots at the following locations:
- Jay: Community Building, 13 Community Drive.
- Livermore: Livermore Community Building, 35 Church St.
- Livermore Falls: Town Office, 2 Main St.
Residents of Jay and Livermore Falls will elect members of the RSU 73 board of directors. The terms of Livermore’s three directors all expire in 2028, when the town will elect directors to staggered one‑, two‑ and three‑year terms. After 2028, Livermore will elect one director each year.
Jay residents will choose four directors. Candidates are: for a one‑year term, Joyce A. Badeau and Avery F. Ryder; for a two‑year term, Matthew J. Brennick and Edward P. Walsh; and for two three‑year terms, Danielle J. W. Brotherton (incumbent), Jodi L. Cordes (incumbent), Tamara N. Hoke and Shari A. Ouellette (incumbent). Voters will choose two of the four candidates for the three‑year seats.
Livermore Falls residents will choose three directors. Candidates are: for a one‑year term, Tammy Ferrari (incumbent) and Boyd Ray; for a two‑year term, Kathy Bryant and Phoebe Pike (incumbent); and for a three‑year term, Don Emery (incumbent) and Heather Bronish.
Voters in all three towns will be asked to accept or reject the RSU 73 budget for the school year running from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
The proposed budget totals $26,761,629, an increase of 2.89 percent over the current $26,009,354 spending plan. It asks voters to raise $5,263,873 above the amount the state will fund under the Essential Programs and Services, or EPS, formula.
RSU 73 expects to receive about $15 million in 2026-27 through EPS. The $5,263,873 is not reimbursed by the state.
Major articles include: regular instruction (teacher salaries and benefits), $9.8 million; special education, $6 million; student and staff support, $4.2 million; facilities maintenance, $3.1 million; transportation and buses, $1.9 million; and school administration, $1.5 million.
The facilities maintenance budget increased due to major upgrades, including new roofs and boilers at Spruce Mountain Primary School in Livermore. The combined cost of the replacements is about $1.5 million, nearly half of the facilities maintenance budget.
Total taxation expected for each town is: Jay, $4.647 million, an increase of $533,000; Livermore, $3.189 million, an increase of $262,000; and Livermore Falls, $2.861 million, an increase of $148,000.
