$8.3M Dover-Foxcroft budget moved to June 9 referendum

DOVER-FOXCROFT — A gross 2026-27 municipal budget for town operations totaling $8,324,427 was approved during the Dover-Foxcroft annual town meeting on Saturday morning, April 25. This total is up from $7,383,770 for the current fiscal year.

This figure and several other warrant articles will now move to the referendum ballot on Tuesday, June 9 to complete the two-part voting process.

The $8.3 million town operations warrant article includes $1,885,1000 in revenue and surplus to reduce the net amount to be raised to $6,439,327. Another anticipated $3,868,100 in revenues and $885,000 from surplus — $4,753,100 —  will be used to help further reduce the property tax commitment.

A question during the proceedings inquired about EMS capital equipment being more than 11 times more in 2025-26, $115,000 from $10,000, was asked.

This primarily will be for equipment for the ambulance for the new EMS branch of the fire department, Town Manager Alsina Brenenstuhl explained.

The same article has the administration reserve doubling to $10,000.

“We’re going to be doing some upgrades to the building as far as door access entry,” Brenenstuhl said, along with an energy audit.

Another $150,000 will fund a municipal feasibility study. 

The funds are “to get a snapshot of our current infrastructure as far as our current buildings,” Brenenstuhl said. “Future needs and where we’re sitting.”

The study will go out to bid and the winning architectural firm will look at Morton Avenue and the fire and police stations to see what the town should consider for the long-term future.

The June 9 ballot will include three non-finannical municipal questions, including a floodplain management ordinance.

“This is just to bring us into compliance with federal floodplain requirements,” Code Enforcement Officer Nanette Redmond said. “We’re meeting the bare minimums they require of this.”

A proposed land use ordinance amendment concerns the issuance of permits by the code enforcement officer. Should someone be known to be in violation with something on their property, then another permit can be withheld until the issue is resolved.

Town meeting attendees approved moving forward a bond not to exceed $2,500,000 to be used for repairs and improvements of the Lincoln Street bridge near the intersection with North Street. 

Construction would be put out on Monday “in anticipation this will be approved in June,” Brenenstuhl said. Work would be done over the summer.

“We would need the funds to pay the contractor at completion,” she said.

Financing would be through the Maine Municipal Bond Bank. Over 20 years at a rate of 5.5% the debt service would be just over $4.1 million with $1,628,000 in interest for the $2.5 million.

Many people may not realize the end of Lincoln Street is actually a bridge with a culvert going underneath the span for a small brook emptying into the nearby Piscataquis River. 

In the 2024 fiscal year $1.3 million in Congressionally Directed Spending was awarded for the replacement project but related contracts were not signed for several years due to issues at the federal level. The $1.3 million needs to be used by September 2027 or else it will disappear, so the project needs to be underway before then.

Over a few years the cost increased dramatically. “It’s tripled in three years,” Brenenstuhl said.

The street is not in immediate danger of caving in, but this will happen eventually if steps are not taken. The bridge — built in 1960 — spans just under 17 feet and is made up of reinforced concrete slab on stone abutments. It features two-way travel lanes, angled parking on the south side, parallel parking on the north side and partial sidewalks on both sides of the street with businesses located on each side.

Town officials are unsure what would happen if the question is voted down, possibly with the municipality needing to cover the entire costs without the $1.3 million.

In June 2024 the select board approved a preliminary design for rehabilitation from Wright Pierce Engineers.

The bridge received a rating indicating a poor condition during a late 2022 inspection by the Maine Department of Transportation.