York Town News
York's 4,001 voters in May 20 election show strong support for most requests
By Jennifer L. Saunders
YORK - Of the town's 10,149 registered voters, a total of 4,001 - or roughly 40 percent - filled out absentee ballots or headed to the polls on Saturday to decide budget requests, land proposals and who will lead the town in the years ahead.Town Clerk Mary-Anne Szeniawski, who returned to her post in an unopposed race, said this year's voter turnout is up from last year, when about 3,500 of the town's registered voters cast ballots.
While the turnout this year is considered good, Szeniawski acknowledged that less than one half of those in town who can vote are making the decisions.
"People typically get out to vote when they're not happy with what's going on. … I really think people are content with their community," she said, pointing to the voter support of every existing operating budget request and the return of current town officials to their posts for the term ahead as other indicators.
In the race for the town's Board of Selectmen, it is the two incumbents who have returned to serve another term.
Dave Marshall was the top vote getter in the field of five candidates with 2,320 votes, followed by Torbert Macdonald Jr. with 1,228 votes.
Michael Ehrenborg was a close third with 1,015 votes, followed by Matthew Smith with 904 and Neil Kelley with 788.
Marshall thanked the voters for their support of his return to the board, but added the most important part of the vote, for him, is the support of such proposals as the purchase of land for a potential new Town Hall in York Village.
"I am most gratified with the positive outcome on the multiple choices we presented; from the badly needed contingency account to the charter amendment, the village zone creation, support for the code office, and many others, but mostly for the purchase of a great piece of land in the village," he said.
Macdonald, too, offered thanks for the voters, but said he believes the most important outcome in the 2006 election came in the question about whether to continue the residential growth ordinance.
"The key result in this election is the people's reaffirming the strong mandate for controlled and managed growth - no confusion occurred over the selectmen's preference vote on the growth number at 84, not 115," he said.
However, a change in state law is waiting in the wings, with every indication being that York will be required to increase its growth limit to approximately 135 residences per year by next summer.
Based on the vote, Macdonald said, "The selectmen and the Planning Board thus have a clear imperative to accelerate the pace of implementing those elements of the Comprehensive Plan necessary to mitigate the consequences of growth."
Marshall, too, said the board has its work cut out for it - but for an array of issues, including the town land proposal, negotiations for a swimming facility and skating arena and the possible sale of unused land currently owned by the town.
"I am very thankful for the voters support of these options and what seems to be their general endorsement of our work over the past year," Marshall said.
All in all, voters were asked to decide on 78 budget-related questions and 14 referenda on topics as diverse as whether town land should be used for swimming and skating facilities to how many houses should be built in town each year.
On the budget side of the election equation, voters approved the majority of articles in the municipal budget of nearly $13 million - including operating budgets for the Code Enforcement Office, York Public Library and Recreation Department that, in the past, have come under fire at the polls.
The Code Enforcement Office budget is up $55,445 to $209,420 to fund a part-time Shoreland Enforcement Officer along with a part-time administrative support position recommended to address improvements raised by the Code Enforcement Review Committee.
The Recreation Department budget is up from $64,535 to $108,585 to cover 1.5 salaries at the department, as the account was originally set up to do. However, as Town Manager Rob Yandow pointed out prior to the vote, a dozen years have passed without an increase in that budget to match increases in salaries.
Voters even approved funds to rebuild the beleaguered 1979 grader that belongs to the Department of Public Works and is essential for the towns gravel roads.
However, a request for up to $1.27 million in funds to solve a long-standing drainage problem in the Winterbook and Orchard Farms neighborhood, as well as $900,000 for York Street construction were defeated.
The fiscal 2007 York School Department budget requests of nearly $23.8 million also received overall strong support, except for the request for a $5.85 million bond issue for an arts wing at York High School and several requests for new positions, including part-time Horizons teachers as well as a full-time foreign language teacher and a part-time lunch monitor at Village Elementary School.
Looking beyond the dollars and cents, voters approved an array of other articles.
Voters have decided the town should look at two proposed public-private partnerships for town-owned land. They voted by a strong margin to keep the residential growth cap.
Residents have decided to allow the Board of Selectmen to call special budget elections in cases of the purchase of land, buildings or facilities in special circumstances and to negotiate the sale of town-owned lands to fund municipal building projects.
And, in an issue that proved to be a headliner at several Board of Selectmen meetings in recent months, the voters decided they did want to tighten the town's Animal Control Ordinance when it comes to dogs on local beaches, but decided against a nonbonding referendum question asking whether the town should consider banning dogs from the beaches in the summer months.
In other races, incumbent Michael Quinn returns to the Budget Committee along with David Lincoln and write-in candidate Greg Fillias for the three seats open on that board.
Art Berger returns for a five-year term as York Sewer District trustee with 1,303 votes. Lloyd Bakke received 983 votes with Frederick Muehl receiving 751.
In addition to Szeniawski's uncontested race for town clerk, Rosemarie Avery returns to the York Water District while incumbent Timothy Fitzgerald and newcomer John D'Aquila each have a seat on the School Committee.
Associate Editor Jennifer L. Saunders can be reached via e-mail at jsaunders@yorkindependent.net.
