OTIS Voters approved 57 items at the June 19 city council, funding $ 1.7 million education and $ 743,425 community costs. The requests were divided into 57 articles with arrest warrants.
To help lower property taxes, $ 235,000 of vehicle excise tax revenue and an undisclosed surplus will be used for community expenses. Government grants to education and $ 93,884 from the school’s surplus account reduced local education funding to $ 1,280,440. Overall, the school budget increased $ 27,000 year over year, mainly from administrative expenses.
All nonprofit requests, included as a single warrant, were approved and received $ 1,000 to the Down East Family YMCA, $ 2,688 to the Ellsworth Public Library, and $ 3,000 to the What’s For Suppa Food Chamber among the 12 organizations that received funding.
In the local elections, Selectman Faith Colburn and school council member Robert Cole were both re-elected for three-year terms.
And at a July 4th celebration, voters approved $ 6,000 for fireworks on Beech Hill Road.
News reporter Anne Berleant covers news and features in Ellsworth, Mariaville, Otis, Amherst, Aurora, Great Pond and Osborn. If you don’t sign up, look for her to hike local trails, read, or watch professional tennis. Email them at [email protected]
