Emergency legislation enacted March 17^th (PL 2019, c. 617) allows a municipality to spend funds during 2020 based on last year's budget if its budget meeting has been delayed. The legislation also allows a municipality to commit taxes based on last year's budget numbers if, for some reason, the municipality was not able to hold its 2020 budget meeting before it needed to commit taxes. Although this authority was provided, a municipality should strive to delay committing taxes until a budget can be enacted because if a municipality commits taxes, it is locked in to those numbers. Any new projects, increased spending over last year, or decreased revenues would have to be funded (with approval by the town meeting/council) through unassigned fund balance or budget cuts.

To this end, the Town of Sidney has made changes to some of the published articles following completion of the annual budget audit. It turns out that Sidney has an amount of surplus that can be used as the funding source for some articles as opposed to "raising" those funds through taxes.

In an effort to run a quick, efficient, and safe town meeting for all, the Selectboard is asking residents to please take a moment to read through the ammended articles that will be voted upon by the town in advance of the town's July 18^th annual town meeting.

If you have any questions about these changes, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will create a Q&A resource compiling your question and our answers in an effort to move quickly through the town meeting and get everyone back home safely.

Amendments are highlighted in yellow.


ARTICLE 3: To see if the Town will vote to set September 1, 2020 as the due date for payment of 2020 taxes with interest on unpaid balances beginning October 1, 2020 at 8% (not 9% as printed) (2019 due date was September 1, 2019 with 8% interest charged October 1, 2019)

ARTICLE 4: To see if the Town will vote to fix an amount of interest to be paid by the Town on abated taxes that have been paid for the fiscal year 2020-2021. (Current rate fixed by the Town is 4% (not 3% as printed))

ARTICLE 12: To see if the Town wil vote to raise or appropriate a sum of $454,165.00 plus receipts, to be used for operating expenses of Town Government, to fund CEO, and to pay Planning Board members an authorized fee of $12.00 per member per meeting attended, not to exceed 24 meetings, and place the unexpended Employee HRA funds into an Administration Employee HRA Reserve account, or take any other action thereon.

Selectmen recommend taking $284,165.00 from Surplus, $170,000.00 raise, plus receipts; 4 for /1 absent (AM)
Revised Selectmen Recommendation: taking $454,165.00 from Surplus, plus receipts. 5 for.

Budget Committee recommend taking $284,165.00 from Surplus and $170,000.00 raise, plus receipts; 5 for /1 absent (TC)

ARTICLE 19:  To see if the Town will vote to raise or appropriate a sum of $602,670.00, plus receipts, to be used for Summer Highways, with unexpended Employee HRA funds to go into a Summer Highway Employee HRA Reserve account and unexpended hot top money to go into the Hot Top Escrow or take any other action thereon.

Selectmen recommend taking $115,594.00 from Surplus, raising $242,948.00, taking $44,128.00 from Block Grant and taking $200,000.00 from Hot Top Escrow, plus receipts. 4 for / 1 absent (AM)
Revised Selectmen Recommendation: taking $358,542.00 from Surplus, $44,128.00 from Block Grant and taking $200,000.00 from Hot Top Escrow, plus receipts. 5 for.

Budget Committee recommend taking $115,594.00 from Surplus, raising $242,948.00,  taking $44,128.00 from Block Grant and taking $200,000.00 from Hot Top Escrow, plus receipts.  5 for / 1 absent (TC)

ARTICLE 20: To see if the Town will vote to raise or appropriate a sum of $279,585.00, plus receipts, to be used for Winter Highways and Maintenance, and place the unexpended Employee HRA funds into a Winter Highway Employee HRA Reserve account or take any other action thereon.

Selectmen recommend taking $179,585.00 from Surplus and raising $100,000.00, plus receipts.  4 for / 1 absent (AM)
Revised Selectmen Recommendation: taking 279,585.00 from Surplus, plus receipts. 5 for.

Budget Committee recommend taking $179,585.00 from Surplus and raising $100,000.00 plus receipts. 5 for / 1 absent (TC)

ARTICLE 27:  To see if the Town will vote to raise or appropriate a sum of $550.00, plus receipts, for the purpose of the expenses for the Memorial Day Parade or take any other action thereon.
(Memorial Day Parade Committee requests $550.00)

Selectmen recommend raising $550.00; 4 for / 1 absent (AM)
Revised Selectmen Recommend funding $0.00 due to COVID-19. There was no parade. 5 for.    

Budget Committee recommend raising $550.00. 5 for / 1 absent (TC)

ARTICLE 28:  To see if the Town will vote to raise or appropriate a sum of $5,000.00 for the Sidney Food Cupboard or take any other action thereon.
(Provides food and various household items for Sidney residents).

2019 request was $5,000.00; $5,000 raised
2019: Volunteers contributed approximately 1050 volunteer hours. Served 69 Sidney residents.

Selectmen recommend raising $5,000.00, plus receipts. 4 for / 1 absent (JW)
Revised Selectmen Recommendation: taking $5,000.00 from Surplus, plus receipts – This has been paid out already.

Budget Committee recommend raising $5,000.00, plus receipts.),4 for /, 2 absent (JG, SF)

ARTICLE 29:  To see if the Town will vote to raise or appropriate a sum of $1,700.00, to fund the 7 Lakes Alliance, Youth Conservation Corps (BRCA) or take any other action thereon.  (BRCA provides area high school and college students with summer employment working on projects to protect our lakes from Nonpoint Source Pollution [sediment and erosion]).

2019 request was $1,700.00; $1,700 was raised
BRCA currently has 50 Sidney residents as BRCA members. Since 1996, BRCA has completed more than 300 conservation projects in Belgrade Lakes Watershed.

Selectmen recommend raising $1,700.00; 4 for / 1 absent (JW)
Revised Selectmen Recommendation: taking $1,700.00 from Surplus, plus receipts. 5 for.

Budget Committee recommend raising $1,700.00. 5 for / 1 absent (TC) 

ARTICLE 30:  To see if the Town will vote to raise or appropriate a sum of    $5,500.00 for the Friends of Messalonskee (FOM) or take any action thereon. 

(The Friends of Messalonskee proposes to use funding received for areas in Sidney that include, but are not limited to:  Sidney Boat Launch, Sidney shoreline to Messalonskee Marsh, Loon Cove, Eccles Cove, and Blake Island & Cove. These efforts and the mapping of new areas not previously visited protect habitats, water quality, recreation and economic interests of the area. Courtesy Boat Inspection funds to be used at the Sidney Boat Landing).

2019 request was $5,500.00; $5,500 was raised

Selectmen recommend raising $5,500.00. 4 for / 1 absent (JW)
Revised Selectmen Recommendation: taking $5,500.00 from Surplus, plus receipts – This has been paid out already.

Budget Committee recommend raising $5,500.00., 5 for / 1 absent (TC)

ARTICLE 31:  To see if the Town will vote to raise or appropriate a sum of $770.00 for the Spectrum Generations or take any other action thereon.

(Spectrum Generations have 607 staff and volunteers, 518 of which are unpaid, with a total of 31,686 hours contributed in 2018. Served 129 unduplicated Sidney residents.)

2019 request was $770.00; $770.00 was raised

Selectmen recommend raising $770.00. 4 for / 1 absent (JW)
Revised Selectmen Recommendation: taking $770.00 from Surplus, plus receipts. 5 for.

Budget Committee recommends raising $770.00; 3 for / 1 opposed (WC) 2 absent (JG, SF)        

 ARTICLE 34:  To see if the Town will vote to raise or appropriate a sum of, not to    exceed, $6,400.00 to enter into agreement with the Belgrade Area Dams Committee or take any other action thereon.

Selectmen recommend raising up to $6,400.00; 4 for / 1 absent (JW)
Revised Selectmen Recommendation: taking $6,400.00 from Surplus, plus receipts. 5 for.

Budget Committee recommend raising up to $6,400.00; 5 for / 1 absent (TC)

ARTICLE 35:  To see if the Town will vote to raise or appropriate a sum of $23,000.00, plus receipts, to fund the Sidney Comprehensive Planning Committee.

Selectmen recommend raising $23,000.00. 3 for / 1 opposed AM, 1 absent (JW)
Revised Selectmen Recommendation: taking $23,000.00 from Surplus, plus receipts. 3 for / 2 opposed (AM, JP)

Budget Committee recommend raising $.0; 4 for / 1abstained (DE) / 1 absent (TC)