China selectmen close out fiscal year, make appointments

by Mary Grow

China selectmen held a special meeting June 30, the last day of the 2019-2020 fiscal year, to pay year-end bills and make appointments for the new year beginning July 1.

Most appointments were reappointments. The main change was that Angela Nelson becomes town clerk as of July 19, when current town clerk Rebecca Hapgood takes over as the new town manager.

The meeting was followed by the second and final public hearing on the local town meeting warrant articles that voters will decide by written ballot on July 14. To another very small audience, Town Manager Dennis Heath again summarized the post-Covid-19 shutdown changes in the proposed 2020-21 budget and the effect on taxes (see The Town Line, June 18, p. 3).

As of June 30, Heath anticipates the proposed budget will cause a slight increase in the tax rate. However, he pointed out the rate is not firm. There are still uncertainties in proposed expenditures; voters in Regional School Unit #18’s five member towns (Belgrade, China, Oakland, Rome and Sidney) will not approve the 2020-21 school budget until July 14. And China’s assessor has not finished updating property valuations, the basis for taxes.

Recordings of the June 30 meeting and hearing are posted under Live Stream on the Town of China website. Absentee ballots for local and state questions are available at the town office. Polls will be open in the former portable classroom behind the office from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on July 14.

Selectmen are scheduled to hold a regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 6.