In Southport, proposed education spending is down 0.3% with school officials recommending a $1,165,407 Fiscal Year 24 budget. Selectman Gerry Gamage said the proposed 2023 municipal budget is about 6% higher at $1,342,118.  

Residents will vote on the combined $3,672,630 municipal and school budget during the March 6 town meeting. Articles 8-24 deal with public education. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend approval of all 17 education-related articles The proposed Regular Instruction spending is $722,427, a 1.1% increase. Special Education spending is down 28.3% to a proposed $101,912. Other Instruction spending is down 9.5% to $9,500. Student and Staff Support spending is down 12.1% to $17,227.

System Administration is up 36.1% to $39,796. School Administration rose 2% to $85,030. Transporttion and Buses is $84,541, an 11.7% increase. Facilities and Maintenance is $112,970, a 15.8% increase. All Other Expenditures spending remains at $34,700. 

Article 16 asks what sum voters will appropriate for funding total education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act. The budget committee and selectmen recommend raising $451,326 and appropriating $497,375. The town’s contribution is determined by the EPS formula as the minimum amount raised to receive the full amount of state funding.

Article 17 asks to exceed the EPS formula by raising $633,332 to maintain student-teacher ratios, special education programming, extra curricular and co-curricular programs, transportation, and repair and maintenance of school buses.

Article 24 asks voters what sum they will raise for the school bus fund. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend $20,000. Article 25 asks what sum the town will raise for town administration. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend $211,420 which is down from last year’s $217,120. 

Articles 26-28 ask to change how municipal office staff are hired. The three articles ask to change tax collector, town clerk and treasurer from elected to appointed. Selectman Mary Lou Koskela said the changes would attract more candidates once those jobs become vacant. “An elected official is not eligible for retirement plans or insurance. In the future, we think we will have to offer benefits to find a qualified person,” she said. 

Article 29 asks what sum the town will raise to replace four town office computers. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend $6,500. Article 30 asks what sum voters will raise to replace the town office phone system and install Wi-Fi. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend $5,600. Article 31 asks what sum voters will raise for town hall operation and maintenance. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend $11,450. In 2022, voters approved $10,925.

Article 32 asks what sum voters will  raise for bringing year round water to the town hall. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend $25,000. In 2022, voters approved $25,000. Town officials report a current account balance of $100,133.67 as of Dec. 31, 2022.

Article 33 seeks what sum voters will approve for code enforcement. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend $38,350. In 2022, voters approved $37,365. Article 34 asks what sum voters will appropriate and raise for the planning and appeals boards. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend $1,700. In 2022, voters approved $1,500. 

Article 35 seeks what sum voters will raise for the fire department. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend $40,000. In 2022, voters approved $40,120. Article 36 seeks what sum voters will raise and invest in the fire truck fund. Selectman and budget committee recommend $50,000. In 2022, voters approved $50,000. As of Dec. 31, 2022, selectmen reported a $401,836 account balance. Article 37 asks what sum voters will raise for replacing the fire house boiler. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend $10,000.

Article 38 seeks what sum voters will raise for fire protection. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend $85,000, the same as voters approved in 2022. Article 39 seeks what sum voters will appropriate and raise for public works. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend appropriating $343,450 with $18,876 from local road assistance and raising $324,574. Article 40 seeks what sum voters will raise for streetlights. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend $2,000. In 2022, voters approved $2,000. 

Article 41 seeks what sum voters will approve for ambulance service. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend $84,000. In 2022, voters approved $77,638. Article 42 seeks what sum voters will raise for the cemetery trustees. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend $8,000. In 2022, voters approved $7,000. Article 43 seeks what sum voters will raise for the library trustees. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend $119,335. In 2022, voters approved $108,975. Article 44 seeks what sum voters will will raise for the museum trustees. Selectmen and the budget committee recommend $20,000. In 2022, voters approved $17,260.

Selectmen and budget committee also recommend approval for the following outside civic organizations: Boothbay Region Disposal District, $277,889; Midcoast Humane Society, $900; district nurse, $3,000; Boothbay Region Health Center, $7,500; Fireworks Fund Committee, $3,000; New Hope for Women, $2,400; Spectrum Generations, $1,100; Mid-Coast Maine Community Action, $550; Boothbay Region Community Television, $5,000; Boothbay Region Community Resources, $7,500; Community Center, $4,000; Healthy Kids, $1,500; LifeFlight of Maine, $1,200; Harbor Theater, $1,000 and Lincoln County Dental, $2,500.

On March 6, residents will vote from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in municipal elections. All four incumbents are seeking re-election and are unopposed. They are Gamage; Gail Sprague, treasurer; Boothbay Region Water District trustee Smith Climo; and school committee member Kathy Tibbetts. Residents will vote on articles 3-65 during the town meeting. Residents will elect from the floor a library trustee and two cemetery district trustees. All three are for three-year terms.

Residents will return at 7:30 p.m. for the town meeting.