FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — Fort Fairfield’s budget advisory committee wants town officials to rein in salaries for the coming year.
The committee shared its recommendations with the Fort Fairfield Town Council during a meeting on May 21.
Committee member Stev Rogeski briefed the council on 27 recommendations to cut costs and improve the town’s economy. The suggestions would save the town $86,000 on its proposed $4.3 million budget for 2025-26, members said.
They urged the largest cuts in the police department.
Police expenses are proposed at $703,173 for the next fiscal year, up from $613,350 budgeted last year, largely due to salary increases, according to the committee’s report.
“Given that the police department budget has increased 52.77 percent, or $211,866, over the past three years, the requested increase of 14.64 percent should be reduced to 5 percent or [an increase of] $30,668 so as to be more in line with the 2.8 percent projected inflation rate,” the document stated.
Holding the increase at 5 percent would save more than $59,000.
Members recommended cutting fire and emergency medical services from a proposed $1.14 million to $1.12 million. That would reduce the department’s 2025-26 budget by $14,389 compared to the proposed amount.
The committee also suggested cutting administration salaries, proposed at $686,534, to $680,142, a reduction of $6,392.
For parks and recreation, the committee suggested reducing projected swimming pool, program costs and upkeep by $6,204. That would take the budget from a proposed $212,701 to $206,497.
The seven-member budget advisory committee formed in 2022 when, amid numerous challenges and an eventual debt of more than $1 million, community members demanded a voice in town financial matters.
The purpose of the [committee] is to provide a second look at the budget and finances from another independent set of citizens, member Sharon Ouellette said. The group aids the council and invites the public to share ideas to ensure local government efficiency, affordability and long-term sustainability,
She and Rojeski said the committee wants more community input and is seeking new members. Those interested can apply at the town office or email the group at ffbudgetadvisorycommittee@gmail.com.
The council again delayed a vote on a proposed solar ordinance, which was tabled in April, because officials are still seeking more information.
The Fort Fairfield Planning Board started developing the ordinance in 2023. While local zoning laws require site design reviews from the planning board, the town has no specific solar array standards.
Planning board member Rick Shepard protested some changes to the proposal suggested by councilors and town officials.
“This appears to me to be an attempt to undermine the ordinance and the work done by the planning board and it tends to ignore the rights and desires of the people of Fort Fairfield in favor of the developers,” he said.
For example, the planning board exempted home solar arrays from the ordinance. One change would increase home solar size from the board’s recommendation of 750 square feet to an array that generates 25 kilowatts.
Kilowatt numbers don’t mean anything to most people, who are mainly concerned with what they can see out their windows, Shepard said. A 25 kilowatt array could be anywhere from 1,300 to 1,500 square feet, twice what the planning board recommended, he said.
Another suggestion would exempt any solar energy project that participates in net energy billing. In Maine, an entity generating up to 5 megawatts can participate in net energy billing, Shepard said. That would mean a solar installation covering 25 to 60 acres wouldn’t need to abide by the town rules.
“To suggest that size installation should be exempt from the solar energy ordinance is just ridiculous. That brings with it all of the complications that we tried to solve,” he said.
Interim Town Manager Dan Foster said home solar fits under Maine’s level 1 guideline of 25 kilowatts.
Maine solar projects are defined by capacity, as follows: residential, generating under 25 kilowatts; commercial, 25-499; community, 500-4,999; and utility, more than 5,000 kilowatts.
“We want to be consistent with where other communities are,” Foster said. “We don’t want to see all the development go somewhere else.”
The ordinance should encourage development, but also take into account residents’ concerns, Councilor Brianne Bubar said.
In other business, the council approved naming Police Chief Matthew Cummings as a permanent assistant town manager; welcomed new library director Justin Howe; appointed Ken Peters to the Library Board of Trustees; appointed Councilor Pat Canavan and incoming Town Manager Aaron Huotari to the Northern Maine Development Commission board; and approved public works overhead door and fuel line upgrades.
Huotari will start in the town manager’s post on June 16, Foster said.
The next council meeting is slated Wednesday, June 18, at 6 p.m.
