OLD TOWN, Maine — Councilors asked City Manager Bill Mayo to find an additional $80,000 to cut out of the fiscal year 2013 budget in order to bring the projected tax increase down to 2.5 percent.
A budget proposal presented on May 14 fell well short of the $600,000 the council was asked to cut, which would have made for a 4 percent tax increase.
Residents at Monday night’s public hearing on the budget weighed in on proposed cuts and some questioned the council’s priorities, arguing that the city of 7,700 residents can’t afford to pay for an airport, pool, library and other municipal facilities without burdening taxpayers.
Woodland Avenue resident Ty Sullivan said the town spent more than $1 million on improvements to Dewitt Field and the road that leads to it in 2010.
He argued that the city budgets $126,000 per year for an airport facility that brings in $45,000 annually.
“I don’t understand why we invest so much money in a losing proposition,” Sullivan said.
Councilor Alan Stormann, who serves as council representative to the airport committee, said the airport is continuing to grow and does need upgrades for safety and paving problems but it will prove to be an economic boon for the community.
Some residents and councilors, including Stormann, questioned whether the town should continue funding the municipal pool at a time when cuts to the police force and Fire Department are being proposed.
Councilor Stan Peterson said he wouldn’t want to see the pool go because it is an asset to the community and many residents and families enjoy using it.
One of the proposed cuts would eliminate a captain position and a communications position from the Police Department but would allow the force fill a vacant sergeant position.
Another proposed cut would eliminate one position from the city office, taking a person off the front desk, meaning an increased workload for staff and longer waiting times for residents.
Council Chairman Jamie Dufour said the city can’t continue to operate as it has in recent years. The town has dipped into reserve accounts to cover shortfalls in the past but they are now depleted, Dufour said.
“We have put off the hard decisions year after year and it’s costing us money,” he said.
The council will hold a second reading of the budget on June 28.
it seems to me that every time a police officer is cut they just hire another one anyways, so that won’t help. As far as Mr. Stormann goes, I would like for him to actually show some statistics for the growth of the Road To Nowhere, since they have not been provided and he always seems to know about things but shows no proof. The road that was built to be a business park entrance was a complete waste of time and money and until proof that it is needed and is beneficial for tax payers I say we do as little upkeep as needed, also it would have a little more appropriate to put the lights on the same side as the sidewalk, but shhhhh if they don’t realize that now than lets not tell them so they won’t redo the lights and/or sidewalk.
I do not understand how the fire department is not being talked about. Fire protection is the BIGGEST waste of tax dollars. When are people going to wake up! We need to take our country back from our fire departments!
You say that, but who are the first people to be called to YOUR house during an emergency/fire?
Good luck putting out a fire with your garden hose.
I have insurance for a reason. I don’t want half burned house, I want a new one. How many fires in OT last year? What was the budget? Can you do division?
Your insurance rating is based on your class of fire department. The lower the class, the higher the insurance. The city actually needs to invest more money by purchasing higher end fire apparatus. The low budget fire apparatus the city now owns will cost more in repairs and will need replacement sooner than if it had purchased higher end trucks. Consider the fact your number 2 engine is now 18 years old, it should be replaced in 2 to 7 years. This is akin to the police department buying Ford Fusions instead of Crown Victorias.
i agree, but i’m still confused about the ladder truck that was purchased with a ladder much higher than any building in OT.
Thats right, in order to reach the roof of a building you need a ladder that is much shorter……..genius!!!!!
ok commonsense, guess you really got me there!!! Lets put it this way, no other town in the area has a truck that has a ladder that much taller than the buildings in their town, and they could have purchased one of a few other models that were able to reach those same buildings and cost much less. Question for you “commonsense”, does calling people names on the internet make you feel good about yourself?? Just wondering because you call yourself commonsense but still have to try to put others down and show your commonsense, just seems as though you enjoy trying to prove yourself and your…what it seems to be “intelligence”
Its not taller that you are looking for, it is reach. I would imagine that it is not always possible to park a truck that large in an ideal spot so the reach is what is important. Have you been to your fire station and asked these questions…..cost of trucks, age, what they are used for…etc.? All to often people spout off about things without having the facts, and my “intelligence” tells me that it only makes sense to spout off about things I have knowledge about!!
yes i have received information. my commonsense tells me only to speak from facts not opinion. thats what i wish more people had for commonsense
So what facts are you speaking of? Because you have made no sense at all in speaking about the ladder truck or the physical abilities of FF’s in the area!
Actually, ladder trucks come in pretty much just a few standard lengths, usually 75′, 95′, and 110′, plus or minus a foot or two. The old ladder truck was a 1983 Grumman, well past its useful life. The 2 engines in service now replaced 1972 and 1978 Howes, all companies largely out of the fire truck business. By comparison, Bangors new ladder truck is 75′ and their spare is 105′, I believe. Brewer has either 95 or 105 footer. I am unsure of Oronos new ladder truck, but they replaced a 1988 E-One sooner than OT replaced their 1983. Even Veazie has a ladder truck and Ellsworth just replaced their 1983 American LaFrance 100′. Measure the distance from your chimney to the sidewalk. The major advantage of a ladder truck is not for tall buildings but to safely get firemen on icy winter roofs fighting chimney fires, or to vent the roof. Pitched roofs plus ice/snow equals falls and injuries to firefighters, which costs the town money. There are also many other factors to consider such as utility wires and other hazards, placement of the stabilizing equipment, and so on. Now for another comparison, look at the town of Conway, NH- population around 9000, similar to Old Town. They have 5 fire departments (each is its own entity for their section of town) housing 10 engines, 2 ladders, 1 snorkel, 5 tankers, 2 heavy rescues plus over a dozen specialized pieces of equipment. I am not a fireman. Buy Sutphen Fire Trucks! And you really cant buy any cheaper fire truck than the HME the city did, except maybe a Ferrara.
Ladders need to be able to reach the building from the road. The length of the ladder is much more important for this horizontal reach than the vertical reach. How many buildings do you know of that you can drive a heavy truck right up to? In reality, a 100′ ladder would be much more useful in a town that has houses and buildings that sit far back from the road.
trust me, ive looked into it. They could have ones thats would reach, why else would have it been a topic of discussion when it was purchased? do you know what size they upgraded from?
How tall is there ladder?
i believe the new 1 is 77feet
ok and how tall is the mill? And you consider 77 feet to be too tall?
i am pretty sure thats not what i was saying. I will state it more clear. The purchased one much higher than they have previously had, and their were others that they could have purchased, and also you need to figure in the height of the truck
I’m guessing that i am speaking with fire fighters who just dont like my comments. is that correct or are my assumptions incorrect?
Actually the ladder that was replaced i believe was 95 ft, so that is actually a downgrade. I guess you aren’t the only one who was present when the discussions were taking place, but it seems you only heard what you wanted to hear or weren’t paying as close attention as you maybe should have. You have a right to comment however you feel, Just throwing out some facts that in all your research you may have overlooked. I am speaking as a person who respects the job that firefighters do!, so you shouldn’t assume anything, you know what the say about assuming things!
ahhh and thats not true, and i have said nothing about respecting firefighters. u enjoy putting…words in peoples mouths dont you! your “facts’ are not completely true and it is pointless to try to “talk” with you. i can only ASSUME that you are one that only writes on blogs and such but cannot actually speak to others. yup i ASSUMED.
I don’t believe i said anything about you respecting or disrespecting firefighters, so i am not sure about where the “you enjoy putting words in peoples mouths comes from”. Recheck your facts and i think you will find that I am quite accurate with mine. Seems you take our little “debate” to heart, and thats fine. Not my intention to offend you, just putting the info out there that i have.
not true at all!
this nothing to do with the ladder and it would only cost more money, but maybe some more physical training for the employees of the fire departments, ive seen fire fighters in other towns/cities/states in much better physical health than in this area not just OT. It doesnt make my confidence very high.
Do you have any clue what they have to do for a test to get hired?
oh yes, but i’m sure there are a few that would not come close to passing it now!!!!
By the way it wasn’t upgraded, its a shorter ladder than before! You might want to do your research first!
I can get the same insurance rates for installing a $2,000.00 sprinkler system in my house. Problem solved. And it is actually proved that a modern sprinkler system fights a fire better than any firefighter dreamed of with less damage. Repair cost has always been the threat of reasons why we need a new “something” That is a BS excuse for the department heads to get a new toy. Why don’t they join the rest of the world and get by with what you have. Lets see, I buy a new Freightliner tractor trailer truck. I drive it 300 miles every business day, 260 days a year. Quick math, ready democrats I know you have a hard time with numbers, 78,000 miles per year. Now, these engines are typically good for 1,000,000 miles. So again some quick math, wait for it, its processing, 12.82 years! You show me a fire truck that responds to 300 miles per day worth of accidents and I will show you a liar. Municipalities do not operate in the real world like the rest of us. It’s time to stop it.
Fire trucks endure hard service. You are a truck driver, so you know the best thing for a diesel is for it to run. A fire truck spends the majority of its life sitting in the station, the weight of 500 to 1000 gallons of water, plus all the equipment, straining the chassis. Its started up and driven out the door within a minute, on its way to somewhere. When it gets there, it may idle for hours, even a day or more, then put away. It is not so much as the miles as it is the hours on the engine. Fire service has evolved into more than putting out fires, the majority of calls now is for EMS and rescue. Lets hope your loved one does not need an ambulance while you are out on the road, and maybe a wheel falls off like the 16 year old Machias ambulance did last winter.
How many medical calls did they do?
Would you please build a wide moat around your teaparty utopian house?
I doubt your neighbors would want to risk their homes catching fire because you want to save some tax dollars.
A. Not a tea party member. B. I would love a moat. C. Look up the broken window effect. D. Your comments provide no help. There is far more risk riding in a car and dieing than having your house burn down. Perhaps you democraps can ban mobile transportation too, or at least have an ambulance follow every car in the case of an accident.
So the ambulance is a Waste of tax dollars which makes money for the city?
again mr/mrs/miss/ms commonsense, it is not appropriate to puts words in someones mouth
I agree as a taxpayer that property taxes in Old Town are disproportionately higher here compared to other towns. We also have services that many other towns do not. I personally would rather staff the police and fire departments, wait a few extra minutes at the town office and not have an airport nearby that I would never use because I could never hope to afford the airfare. The property taxes have been high for the 10 years I have owned property here, and when the tax rates didn’t go up, they revalued our homes. My property is now valued by the town at a far higher price than I could ever hope to sell it. I say cut some of the extravagant services (pool, airport,ridiculously large town office) and support the essentials (police, fire, education). Oh yeah, nice to see that birth certificates have gone up from $10 to $15. I guess they are raising taxes in every way they can. Enough is enough. Time to trim back to a sustainable balance. At least with the pool, just about anybody can use it. I doubt many residents are willing to pay a higher fare to use the the airport as there is one in Bangor that is likely much cheaper. I wonder who does use it, since it appears to be subsidized by taxpayer dollars. Does anyone know how many flights go through there, and what type of flights they are?
Better think twice before cutting the airport. Several local business (Sewall Co. H E Sargent) that employ many people rely on the airport.
It hurts me to say this, close the pool before eliminating any more positions.
The Birth Certificate increase is a State Imposed scam. Since the state now requires you to show a birth certificate, even if you have had a ME license for decades, they added this little $5 surcharge. When my wife went to the DMV with her original birth certificate, they rejected it because it was not a “certified copy”, which led to her losing a day of work to travel to the town she was born in, to get said certified “copy”. Ironically, the town/city is doing all the work to make the copies, yet the state gets the cash.
Just thinking out loud, but How much do sitting members of the city council make? Not saying they don’t do their jobs, but if they are worried about money, look at rolling back raises that people have received recently (if any).
close down the pool, not permanently but for an extended period of time [say 2-3 years] then once the budget is back on track discuss re-opening it. there is already a pool at the YMCA. If you need a membership to use it than get one [support the United Way] There are alternatives to cutting jobs.
therapeutic pool at the YMCA, meaning it cannot be used for all the same events
true, however one of the biggest reasons they want to keep it open is for public swim, not just for high school activities. the YMCA has open swim multiple times a day 7 days a week. as far as high school activities they can look into using the facilities at the University. all im saying is there are many other alternatives to cutting positions that have been held by loyal empoyees for decades.
I agree, but the schedule comes into play very often, which stinks, but is true. I do believe some cuts could be done to the pool(especially since the Y has run it for years), but totally cutting it doesnt seem right. Possibly cutting some staff and only having it open for specific days. I am not sure if that can be done, but may be something to look into. As far as having public swim 7 days a week at the Y, many weeks through the year it is closed for a few days so it can be confusing, but that is something the Y should be able to work on.
all proceeds from this debate will go to the Old Town budget fund. Thanks for participating!
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I watched part of the Council meeting on local cable last night and am absolutely appalled! Other than Councilman’s Stormann’s presentation, which had real FACTS embedded, the rest was uninformed blather! One important point seems to be eluding the majority of the Council — the difference between what we WANT and what we NEED. We do not need another expensive pool to operate — period. Between the YMCA pool and University facilities, people can find a way to indulge their desire to swim. We do NOT need a full-time assistant director of Recreation. The Road to Nowhere at the Airport needs to prove itself in economic development and fast or stop pouring money down that operation as well.
We NEED essential services, especially police and fire. Stop arguing about the height of ladders, and talk about reality! Can anyone in a city this size imagine the chaos if there is a shift where only one patrol officer is on duty? What about two-person shifts when either or both are actually at the station house completing the piles of paperwork demanded by state statute? Sure, cut the captain and the secretary and see how much of that paperwork actually gets done! What about the study that was done a few years back that said the department was properly staffed for a city this size? Why did we taxpayers pay $75,000 for that study only to see it stiffed by the current decision makers who are more worried about re-election than actually making the city work?
All I could think of last night was what would be involved in a recall petition to make sure that we had a Council that operated under the rules of the City Charter — not as some politically-motivated bunch of micro managers!