Voters in Boothbay Harbor passed the 2015-2016 Boothbay Harbor town budget of $4,091,645 at town meeting on May 2.

This budget is a decrease of one percent from last year’s budget, which was $4,152,960.

Forty-two voters were in attendance, along with 15 members of the town government, including the budget committee, selectmen, town manager and department heads.

At the election the previous night, voters reelected Wendy Wolf to the three-year selectman's seat and chose Tricia Warren for the two-year selectman's seat.

A total of 310 voters turned out for the election. Wolf won with 222 votes to Rendle Jones' 73. Warren won with 121 votes, Linc Sample received 75, Palmer Payne 54, and Chris Haskell 50.

A number of candidates ran unopposed and were also awarded their seats: Steven Lorrain for CSD trustee, Stephanie Hawke for CSD school committee, James Stormont for sewer district trustee, Kenneth Marston as water district trustee-at-large, and John Arsenault as cemetery district trustee.

“I am delighted and really humbled by the confidence the voters put in me,” Wolf said on May 1. “I will do my best to continue to be a good public servant.”

At the Boathouse Bistro, the news resulted in massive cheers as Warren was on duty election night.

“I am ... wow ... very excited,” Warren said. “Thank you to everyone who came out and voted.”

“I never had any doubt she would win,” co-worker Jill Reynolds said as a regular customer insisted on buying Warren a drink.

At town meeting, deputy moderator Ervin Snyder presided over the meeting, which was held in the Boothbay Region Elementary School gym and went from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Winners of the election were announced and those present (Wolf, Warren, Hawke, Stormont and Arsenault) were sworn in by Town Clerk Michelle Farnham.

Article 4, which asked voters whether they wanted to accept the agreement between Boothbay Harbor and Bayville, which defines and clarifies the physical boundaries of Bayville Village (this agreement was actually made on Oct. 25, 2013) passed with 247 in favor and 16 opposed.

The first part of the town warrant, which appears every year and has to do with tax payments and duties of the municipal officers, passed quickly. Article 17 passed unanimously, which was the adoption of the 2014-2015 Comprehensive Plan.

Voters also agreed to allow the town to carry over funds previously designated for two projects (articles 18 and 19): the Route 27 sidewalk (set to begin construction in 2016) and the former tennis courts area by the school. These amounts were $25,065 and $15,000.

Voters also approved the $2,776,013 Municipal Budget (article 20). The Rev. Sarah Foulger of the Congregational Church asked about the decrease of $4,500 in the town's welfare account. Town Manager Tom Woodin replied that the town based the budget on last year's use, and usage has gone down.

Norm Pierce asked about the increase of $23,000 in the selectman's budget. Woodin replied that the money was going towards economic development, which the selectmen have been pursuing as a joint project with the town of Boothbay since last year.

Voters also approved the budgets in articles 21 and 22 for the street lights, hydrants, Boothbay Region Refuse Disposal District, Bayville/Isle of Springs, Cemetery District, Community Cable Channel, Harbor Lights, Historical Society, Memorial Day/American Legion, Memorial Library, New Hope for Women, Summer Band Concerts, District Nurse and Spectrum Generations. It was questioned why the District Nurse was being given so much less, and a representative present answered it was because they had successfully increased their fundraising efforts and did not need as much this year.

Two budget items in article 22 were changed at the meeting. Debbie Mullen asked why the funding for the Senior Citizens account, which helps provide lunches, was cut from $1,000 to $800. Board of Selectman Chairman Denise Griffin answered that it was because the town had given $200 to Spectrum Generations, which it had not done before. Pastor Ami Sawtelle of the Boothbay Harbor United Methodist Church asked if $200 could be taken from the fireworks fund and placed back into the Senior Citizens account. Moderator Snyder ruled such changes to line items in the budget could not be made.

“The time for debate on these things is over,” Budget Committee member Palmer Payne said.

“This is the sort of thing that drum down town meeting attendance,” Chip Griffin said.

A call to overturn his decision was made, and succeeded. A vote was made on whether to trim the fireworks budget from $5,000 to $4,800 and increase the Senior Citizens budget from $800 to $1,000. While the vote was split, the ayes had it, and the change was made.

Article 23, the budget for the Boothbay Region Ambulance Service, was the only budget item where the selectmen and budget committee disagreed. Bob McFetridge asked why they disagreed on this item.

“We looked carefully at all budget items,” budget committee member Mary Neal said. “The call volume has decreased, there were numerous inaccuracies in budget presentations, and the board structure is unacceptable, and despite this, we voted to give them the same amount as last year.” (Last year the service was given $168,487.)

The selectmen had suggested giving the full amount requested, $184,801. In either case, the funds were to be dispersed quarterly and only upon receipt of timely, accurate reports.

After some discussion and an explanation from Rob Ham, chairman of the BRAS board, the town voted. Again, the votes were split, but the majority voted to award BRAS the higher amount of $184,801.

Article 24, which was by secret ballot, decided whether the voters would allow the property tax levy limit to be exceeded if necessary. The article passed with 34 for and 8 against.

The last 10 articles were all changes in the municipal code, most of which were for clarification purposes, and two which added definitions which did not exist for a “parking lot” and “garage.” The first two, articles 25 and 26, also changed the specifications for the hiring and firing of municipal employees, distinguishing between appointments made solely by the town manager and those that required approval by the board of selectmen. Both 25 and 26 passed.

Voters passed the changes that required parking areas to be related to a principal structure that must exist on the same parcel of land as the lot; that required the principal use for the structure to be one allowed by the land use table; and the one that ensured parking standards would be included in all site plan reviews by the planning board.

Three code changes were voted down during the meeting. These included not allowing a shed or garage to be a principal structure for a parking lot, and the definitions created for both “parking lot” and “garage.” In both cases, no definition currently exists for either of these terms.

Woodin thanked the budget committee and selectmen for their hard work, and expressed his pleasure that the town budget had remained stable. He congratulated Selectman Wolf on her reelection, and welcomed Warren to the board.

According to Woodin, $150,000 from the town’s general fund, or surplus, was moved to the municipal budget in order to reduce the burden on residents by lowering the property tax commitment.