ORONO, Maine — Voters from Riverside RSU 26’s three member towns voted 202-66 Wednesday to approve school officials’ request to borrow up to $645,000 through no-interest loans to pay for a series of building improvements.
The loans will cover projects that aren’t eligible for grants the unit already has landed for a series of districtwide building upgrades slated to begin next spring, Superintendent Doug Smith said earlier this month.
Voter turnout was extremely low in all three towns, local officials said after the polls in Orono, Veazie and Glenburn closed Wednesday night.
Orono Town Clerk Wanda Thomas estimated about 2 percent of that town’s voters took part in Wednesday’s referendum. Glenburn Town Clerk Ruthena Brasslett estimated that less than 1 percent of the town’s registered voters came to the polls. Karen Humphrey, town clerk in Veazie, pegged turnout there at about 2.5 percent.
Local breakdowns are as follows:
ä Orono — 168 in favor, 18 opposed.
ä Veazie — 20 in favor, 17 opposed.
ä Glenburn — 14 in favor, 31 opposed.
According to Smith, the $645,000 the RSU will borrow is part of the overall budget for a districtwide project that calls for replacing heating systems and bringing all schools up to current air quality standards. He said the upgrades will not affect the RSU’s budget or the property tax rates of its member municipalities.
Smith said earlier this month that the RSU decided to tackle the improvements now because it has access to funding opportunities the unit likely would never see again. He called the funding package RSU officials put together “a golden opportunity” to make a large number of improvements at a very favorable interest rate and at a very favorable annual payment schedule.