Polls will be open in Boothbay Harbor from  8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, May 3 at the fire station for elections and ballot issues. The annual town meeting will follow at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 4 in the Boothbay Region Elementary School gymnasium.

Voters will decide two three-year selectmen’s seats among four candidates: Tom Minerich, Ken Fitch, Rosemary Bourette and incumbent Mike Tomko.

All other elections are also for three-year terms and all are uncontested. Ronnie Campbell seeks reelection to the Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor Community School District Board of Trustees; Peggy Splaine for CSD School Committee; and Jay D. Warren for Cemetery District Board of Trustees. No candidates are listed for the vacant three-year seat on the Boothbay Region Water District Board of Trustees; Merritt Blakeslee is running as a write-in candidate.

Three issues appear on the ballot following election items – Articles 3, 4 and 5. “yes” vote on Article 3 will establish two new zones out of the current Maritime/Water Dependent District -- Limited Commercial/Maritime District and Working Waterfront District -- and will raise maximum building heights to 35 feet (or 2 1/2 stories, whichever is less).  A “yes” vote on Article 4 will change the definition of the height of a structure to comply with the Department of Environmental Protection. A “yes” vote on Article 5 will clarify the definition of a functionally water dependent use by correcting punctuation.

The 2019 municipal budget voters face May 4 totals $2,967,891 which is up just over $66,000 or 2.3% from last year. In Article 16, voters will decide whether or not to appropriate 2018 revenues of $1,100,146 toward reducing the property tax commitment.

Due to cost increases from Boothbay Region Water District, taxpayers will see an increase just over $163,000 in hydrant costs, listed under Article 20. Article 20 will total $1,222,884 in costs for street lights, hydrants, Boothbay Region Refuse Disposal District and Bayville/Isle of Springs accounts.

Unlike last year’s budget, ambulance services appear separately from support organizations. Both seek increases, $73,321 and $5,920 in Articles 21 and 23, respectively. Organizations seeking increases include Boothbay Region Community Resource Council asking for a $600 increase to $5,000; Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library asking for a $2,000 increase to $54,000; New Hope For Women asking for a $57 increase to $1,212; and the District Nurse asking for a $730 increase to $25,066.

Among other proposed increases are the municipal capital account which is up by $86,071; contract services, up $48,000; and the police account, up $42,074. Among proposed decreases are paving and construction and public works accounts, down $108,000 and $44,259.