Rumford voters approve $7.4M budget

RUMFORD -- On June 12, a majority of voters approved every town meeting warrant article.

The $7,420,500 municipal budget budget is $571,292 more than last year's spending of $6,849,208. It doesn't include the county and school assessments.

In all but one article, voters went with the lesser amounts when selectmen and the Finance Committee differed with recommendations.

Article 46 asked if voters would raise and appropriate funding for the Western Maine Veterans Advisory Committee, which sought $175.

By a 760-218 tally, voters agreed to fund the committee. In the same article, those who voted "yes" were asked which amount they wanted to raise. Selectmen recommended $400; the Finance Committee, $175. The selectmen's recommendation won, 383-274.

In Articles 10 (Public Safety) and 12 (Fire Department), voters went with Finance Committee recommendations, reducing the budget by $3,000.

The committee in Article 10 recommended $1,000 less than selectmen for emergency management. Residents approved doing that, voting 527-327. There were 244 votes for neither recommended amount.

For the Fire Department budget, 475 voters chose the committee's recommendation of $722,069, while 363 voters went with the selectmen recommendation of $724,069. There were 260 votes for neither recommendation.

Of all the articles, only a few were approved by less than a 100-vote margin. These closer votes came in the Social Services requests for initiated articles:

* Article 25 sought $51,000 for Black Mountain of Maine. It was approved, 585-509.

* Article 31 sought $2,500 for Holy Savior School -- books. It was approved 580-491.

* Article 32 sought $1,500 for Holy Savior School -- testing. It was approved, 585-487.

* Article 33 sought $550 for Holy Savior School -- health services. It was approved, 585-487.

* Article 38 sought $12,000 for the River Valley Growth Council. It was approved, 574-490.