By Suzanne Hodgson

Staff Writer

June 8 marks the end of months of debate and number crunching for Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel when residents have a chance to vote on the towns’ budget and other warrant articles.

Voters in all three communities will help decide five state referendum questions, including a $47.8 million transportation and a $26.5 million clean energy bond and repealing a tax reform package that goes into effect in January 2010. Members of the state Republican and Democratic parties also will decide party nominees for governor, sheriff and state senator. 

Kennebunk

Kennebunk voters will head to the Edward C. Winston Town Hall Auditorium at Kennebunk Town Hall where polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to vote on 22 referendum questions and seven municipal positions.

Two board of selectmen seats are open and only Kevin Donovan’s name is on the ballot. Richard Morin and Bill Ward have stepped forward as write-in candidates.

Chairman Wayne Berry and Tom Wellman have decided not to seek re-election.

Matthew Fadiman and Frank Drigotas are running for two open seats on the 12-member RSU 21 school board.  Board members Gayle Spofford and Jim Smith also decided not to run again. 

Craig MacDonald is running for the open trustee seat for Kennebunk Light and Power District and incumbent Robert DiCarlo and newcomer Nicholas Branchina are running for two open trustee positions for Kennebunk Sewer District. 

Referendum questions deal with authorizing selectmen to sell any property acquired through non-payment of taxes, changes to the zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan and approval of the proposed $6.8 million budget.

While the total budget is roughly equal to last year’s, Question 14 asks voters to allow $999,609 in surplus money to be transferred from the undesignated general fund for sidewalk and road improvements, pay off the pay-as-you-throw refuse collection system deficit and reduce future debt service requirements. This money is not included in the total budget.

The most debated issue on the warrant is the purchase of the former Mobil gas station on Main Street in Kennebunk. The question asks residents to allow the town to use $310,000 to clean up any contamination on the site and purchase the property. This is the last requirement in a purchase and sales agreement made between Town Manager Barry Tibbetts and C.N. Brown, owners of the gas station.

Kennebunkport

 Kennebunkport voters will have a chance to vote on seven questions and one, two-part article on June 8 during an election that begins at 8 a.m. at Village Fire Station.

Article 1 on the ballot asks voters to choose a moderator for the election and two selectmen and one RSU 21 school board member for three-year terms. Incumbents Sheila Matthews-Bull and Mike Weston are the only two names to appear on the ballot for selectmen and incumbent Norm Archer also is running unopposed for the school board. 

The seven questions on the ballot deal with changes to the land use ordinance and comprehensive plan.

The questions include enacting an ordinance to remove mobile home parks as a conditional use in the Cape Arundel and Goose Rocks areas; updating the definition of accessory apartments; amending the land use ordinance to allow non-conforming structures with planning board approval; adding language to the comprehensive plan to allow growth areas in the town; allowing greater flexibility in the tax assistance ordinance for low- or modest-income residents; and voiding two easement agreements from the sewer district because the district no longer needs the land.

On June 12, a Town Meeting will be held to answer articles two through 52 at Consolidated School beginning at 9 a.m.

The articles mainly deal with a breakdown of the $6.3 million town budget.

The first few articles deal with property taxes, abated taxes and allowing the town to sell any real estate acquired through tax abatement. Other articles include improvements to the downtown by allowing an easement for tree planting on private property and the addition of new streetlights. 

There will likely be some debate during Town Meeting, especially over article 48 and 49, which deal with the town’s legal fees. Article 48 asks voters to allow the town to transfer money from the undesignated fund balance to cover any overdraft in the legal fees from fiscal year 2009-2010. Article 49 will approve $335,000 toward legal fees, a $250,000 increase over last year. 

Arundel 

In Arundel, voters will go to Central Fire Station on June 8 beginning at 8 a.m. to elect two selectmen, three budget board members and one RSU 21 school board member. 

Incumbent Dana Peck and Velma Jones Hayes are the only two running for the open selectmen seats and Daniel Pleva is running for the open school board seat being vacated by Pamela Richard Wuerthner.

On Wednesday at 7 p.m., Arundel residents will have the opportunity to vote at Town Meeting at Mildred L. Day gym to act on articles 3 through 39. 

The first few articles deal with changes to the Arundel Land Use Ordinance related to shore land zoning, private ways and signs around the town. 

Articles 9 through 25 deal with breakdown of the town’s $2.5 million budget.

Article 26 asks voters to allow the recreation committee to offer new programs as long as revenue from those programs fully covers the cost.

Articles 29 and 30 ask voters to use revenues and available funds from excise tax and registration fees to lower the tax commitment. 

Staff Writer Suzanne Hodgson can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 233.