By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — Last week, a seventh person was named to the Casco Finance Committee.

Prior to that, there were six people on the committee. A seventh member was desired to avoid a tie-vote.

Two people had filled out the required volunteer application, and one of those people was present at the Casco Select Board meeting on March 4.

With the budget meeting kicking off less than a week from that date, the board interviewed and appointed Timothy Walsh.

Walsh said he moved to Casco a few years ago and recently retired from the United States Coast Guard after 20 years of service. During the last half of his employment with the Coast Guard, Walsh did administrative work which included creating budgets, he said.

“I hopefully want to give back to the town, garnering that experience as much as possible,” he said.

The board voted, 4-0, to appoint Walsh.

“Welcome aboard,” Select Board member Scott Avery said.

Walsh joins other members Sue Witonis, Tom Mulkern, Tom McCarthy, Carol Drew, Barbara Durr and Maureen McAllister.

On March 4, Casco Town Manager Tony Ward prepped the group for the first budget meeting that took place this Monday. He provided budget binders and a calendar of budget meetings to all the people involved. 

“These will be joint meetings between the Select Board and the Finance Committee. That way department heads do one presentation. After completion, the finance committee will go and meet and the select board will go and meet. Then, [the groups] come back and have a dialogue about the differences,” Ward said. “This year’s finance committee meetings might be a little longer than what it was in the past. It is a two-hour window. If something needs to be tabled, table it until the next meeting.”

He warned that tough decision will need to be made.

“This year, there will be good dialogue. It will be trying dialogue. Last year’s revaluation effected a lot of people, and we have to be careful,” Ward said.

As most people are aware, the town’s budget includes the Cumberland County budget and the School Administrative District 61 budget. Those areas make up large portion of budget, Ward said. 

What the town has control over is the municipal budget

“If you look at the department head requests, it represents a 7.82% increase. Some of the larger departments have moderate increases,” he said.

Despite inflation all around, there is good news.

“Our debt service has gone down. The reason: the bond for the town office, roads and infrastructure is set on declining payments. That is where that reduction is coming from,” Ward said. 

“New capital expenses. I don’t want to bias anybody but that will be where most the discussion will be at,” he said.

“When we look at the overall budget, there is some tough dialogue. Priorities have to be set. You minimize budgets in one of two ways: Either cutting bodies — the cost of benefits, insurance or you cut capital projects. Historically, we have not done well with capital projects. We need to get into a saving cycle for capital improvement projects,” he said.