Staff Writer

Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel voters approved all three towns budgets on June 8 along with some new selectmen for Arundel and Kennebunk and three new RSU 21 school board representatives on the 12-seat board.

Kennebunk voters approved all but one of the 22 referendum questions dealing with authorizing the Selectmen to sell any property acquired through non-payment of taxes, changes to the zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan and the $6.8 million budget.

Voters did not approve allocating $16,000 for the Shoreline Trolley and Kennebunk Shuttle by a close 1,468 against to 1,428 for appropriation. Kennebunkport will also not fund the trolley this year.

While the total budget is .01 percent less than last year’s, voters approved $999,609 to be transferred from the undesignated general fund – surplus – for sidewalk and road improvements, erase the pay-as-you-throw garbage plan debt and reduce future debt service requirements by 1,854 votes for and 534 votes against.

Voters approved the most debated issue on the warrant, the purchase of the former Mobil gas station on Main Street in Kennebunk, with 1,606 votes for the purchase and 1,358 votes against. The question asked to allow the town to use $310,000 to purchase the building and land.  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. C.N. Brown recently lowered the price of the gas station to $280,000. The remaining $30,000 of the approved funds can be used as the town’s match to the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission grant to do environmental clean up on the site.

Kevin Donovan won one selectmen seat with 2,242 votes. Richard Morin one the other 3-year term seat as a write in candidate with 275 votes, replacing Tom Wellman and Wayne Barry.

Matthew Fadiman and Frank Drigotas, the only two candidates on the ballot, will replace Gayle Spofford and Jim Smith as the new School Board members. Fadiman received 1,840 votes, Drigotas had 1,966 votes.

Craig Macdonald won the five-year trustee position for Kennebunk Light and Power District with 2,471 votes.

Nicholas Branchina and Robert Dicarlo won the two 3-year term trustee positions for Kennebunk Sewer District.

Kennebunkport voter turnout of 1,337 voters-absentees and in person - approved all seven questions on their town ballot and re-elected all three incumbents on both the school board and selectmen seats.

By a vote of 889 for and 383 against, a change to remove mobile home parks as a conditional use in both Cape Arundel and Goose Rocks areas.

Question two improved the understanding of the ordinance that coves accessory apartments, which was passed last November, by cleaning up language in the ordinance. It passed 1,036 to 215. 

Kennebunkports Planning Board now has the power to allow reconstruction of non-conforming structures and Selectmen have greater flexibility on property tax assistance.  The town’s Comprehensive Plan amendments passed to identify growth areas in the town by 908 by 299.

Question six and seven both deal with two quit claim deeds on private parcels of land that are no longer needed by the town for easements. Question six passed by 1,078 to 165. Question seven passed by 1,075 to 164.

Sheila Matthews-Bull and Mike Weston were both re-elected to serve on the board of selectmen for another three years. Matthews-Bull received 997 votes and Weston received 894 votes.

Norm Archer was also re-elected to serve another three-year term on the school board with 1,014 votes.

RSU school board trustee Norm Archer was also re-elected with 1,014 votes.

In Arundel both incumbents on the board of selectmen were re-elected, but the school board received yet another newcomer.

Dana Peck received 578 votes and Velma Jones Hayes received 579 votes re-electing both to another three-year term on the board of selectmen.

Daniel Pleva ran unopposed for the three-year seat replacing Pamela Richard Wuerthner with 621 votes.

Richard Ganong and Shawn Hayes were both elected to serve three year terms on the budget committee with 535 and 590 votes, respectively.

Raymon Ward was elected to service a two year term on the budget committee with 620 votes.

OTHER BALLOTS

Democrats

                                            State      Kennebunk     Kennebunkport    Arundel

Patrick K. McGowen............23,053      196                      63                   46

Elizabeth H. Mitchell........ 40,317       400                    169                 100

Steven G. Rowe..................26,087      256                    102                   44

Rosa W. Scarcelli................26,147      235                    124                  78

Republicans

                                            State      Kennebunk     Kennebunkport    Arundel

Steven W. Abbott................16,906        311                    121                   49

William H. Beardsley...........11,688         40                      13                    11

Matthew C. Jacobson..........4,011          48                       35                     5

Paul R. LePage.................46,721        301                    156                    99

Peter S. Mills..................... 18,160        181                     94                     47

Leslie B. Otten....................21,605        274                    138                   69

Bruce Poliquin.....................6,084         108                      43                    22

Referendum questions

                                          State          Kennebunk     Kennebunkport    Arundel

 #1 Tax law repeal

Yes....................................184,099      1,602                       750             504

No......................................118,394      1,446                      571              262

 #2 Energy bond

Yes....................................177,693        2,031                   909               428

No.....................................122,412        1,003                    402              337

 #3 Transportation bond

Yes....................................173,802         1,949                    925             400

No......................................124,655         1,078                    392             365

 #4 CMF bond

Yes....................................151,182         1,736                     833            354

No......................................146,332         1,271                     465            403

 #5 Water quality bond

Yes....................................165,034          1,941                    907             387

No......................................133,922          1,075                    401             376

                                        County        Kennebunk     Kennebunkport    Arundel

York County Sheriff

Paul E. Main......................6,584               467                    186               122

Maurice R. Ouellette........7,540               424                    186               126