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Showing posts with label voting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label voting. Show all posts

Friday, June 20, 2025

Windham Town Budget passes during lengthy Annual Town Meeting

By Ed Pierce

In what turned out as a marathon 4 ½-hour town meeting, Windham’s $8.9 million budget was eventually passed through a series of unexpected developments and twists that anyone in attendance just couldn’t make up.

Members of the Windham Town Council and staff gather
before the Annual Windham Town Meeting at Windham 
Town hall on Saturday, June 14. From left are Councilor
David Nadeau, Assistant Town Manager Bob Burns, Town
Clerk Linda Morell, Councilor Mark Morrison, Councilor
John Henry, Councilor Jarrod Maxfield, Councilor Bill
Reiner, and Town Manager Barry Tibbetts.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE  
With more than 130 Windham residents on hand for the Annual Town Meeting at Windham Town Hall on Saturday, June 14, concerned voters questioned nearly each of the 30 town warrant articles, wanting explanations for increases in spending and sharing their opinions about budgeting proposals put forward by the Windham Town Council.

Having elected former State Rep. Gary Plummer of Windham as Town Meeting Moderator, the first six out of the 30 warrant articles were approved following discussions and clarifications by Windham Town Manager Barry Tibbetts.

But voters rejected Article 7 asking for approval of a municipal budget of $39.9 million, and that meant votes were required for each of the next 11 articles. Among those, only Article 8, asking for an increase of 11.39 percent and $8.9 million funding general government operations for fiscal year 2025-2026 was defeated by voters as determined by the moderator. Article 8 included funding for Windham Town Hall offices and services and some contractual expenses, such as benefits for town police officers.

All the other warrant articles were approved by voters, except for Articles 24, 25, 26, and 27, those dealt specifically with creating and funding a new public skating rink and playground in North Windham at a cost of $3 million and renovations to Gambo Park with new soccer field, recreational trails and improved parking at an expense of $3 million.

Article 22, a proposal to construct a new North Windham Public Safety Building behind Hannaford Supermarket off Route 302, involved a lengthy discussion and many questions raised by voters about acquiring the site property, housing a Cumberland County Sheriff’s Patrol Office in the building, and the need to replace the current North Windham Fire Station on Route 302, a structure built in 1960. Tibbetts said approving the article would add 5 cents to the town’s millage rate.

“This substation building meets the needs of today and for the future,” Tibbetts said. Voters approved Article 22 agreeing to its $10 million cost through a combination of $4 million in Tax Increment Financing, using $2.4 million from the town’s General Fund, using impact fees of $1.1 million and obtaining a general obligation bond of $2.5 million.

After the 30 articles had been discussed and voted upon, Tibbetts then reviewed what the implications of the rejection of Article 8 would mean, including the difficulty of rescheduling and legally posting another town meeting, shutting down Windham Town Hall on July 1, potentially laying off employees and not having necessary revenue to meet contractual bills and defaulting on town obligations.

By this time, and after four hours, at least half of residents attending had left the meeting. A series of actions then happened that reversed the earlier vote on Article 8. A voter who had voted no previously then formally made a motion to change his vote, and then a second voter who had voted no to Article 8 previously made a motion to change their vote too and seconded the motion on the floor to reopen the article.

The first voter who had changed his vote then made a motion to amend the budget, proposing to reduce it by $600,000. That was also seconded by another voter who had voted no previously. That meant the original proposed $8.9 budget was back on the table.

Before a discussion on that, a voter from the audience moved to adjourn the meeting and it was quickly seconded. A show of hands to adjourn was too close for the moderator to call, and so votes were counted by the town clerk. The vote to adjourn was voted down.

Following a discussion about amending the budget, a vote to amend the $8.9 million was voted down and then Article 8 as originally proposed was then passed by those in attendance.

At each step voters didn't have to do what they did or vote the way they did. And those who left the meeting didn't have to leave and could have changed the voting.

Windham resident J.P. Belanger attended the Annual Town Meeting and said it was both an eye-opener and a civics lesson.

“Watching the process unfold gave me a deeper appreciation for how our local government works – and how much our participation matters. I left the meeting feeling cautiously optimistic. The approved budget reflects rising costs but also shows our community’s commitment to progress,” he said. “I was especially encouraged to see long-overdue projects like the North Windham Fire Station moving forward – a crucial investment in public safety. At the same time, I was disappointed by the reconsideration of Article 8 during what became a historic 4 1/2-hour meeting. By the time the article was brought back for a vote, many residents had already left. It raised important concerns about transparency and fairness. When community members make the effort to show up and vote, they deserve confidence that those decisions won’t be reversed once attendance thins out. I also share the concerns voiced by others about the rising tax burden. Even modest increases can strain household budgets – especially for seniors living on fixed incomes. With inflation continuing to drive up the cost of essentials like food, fuel, and healthcare, many older residents are feeling the squeeze more than ever. It’s important that we keep their needs in mind as we plan for the future. Perhaps most of all, I wish more residents had been present. These meetings shape the future of our town, and broader participation would help ensure more voices are heard. I look forward to attending more of them myself – because being informed and involved is the best way to strengthen the community.”

Over the days following the town meeting, many angry residents expressed disappointment over the budget passing and claiming they felt “duped” and “disenfranchised” that the Article 8 budget was brought back up for another vote after many who had voted no had left the meeting.

Windham Town Councilor Bill Reiner said he understands the concerns raised.

“I believe it was the fourth item vote of the meeting that was; “Adoption of the rules of procedure as outlined in MMA Moderators Manual.” Those were the rules accepted by a show of hands vote, and the rules followed. All 27 pages of it, it’s not simple but very black and white.”

Reiner said this was the best turnout for a town meeting in four years he’s served on the council.

“Yes, it’s my personal opinion that it’s a terrible time to have an election, but it is stipulated in the town charter that it be the second Saturday of June. Our hands are tied until a change is made,” he said. “Regarding the Town Meeting versus a Referendum vote; each has its advantages and drawbacks. Most clearly that numbers matter greatly in a town meeting forum or any election that has a low turnout. A Referendum vote and a larger turnout is more representative of the population, but no discussions or explanation would be available for voters and referendum language can be tricky."

According to Reiner, he understands that people had valid reasons to leave before the end of the meeting.

“But the town meeting is a live meeting and continues until adjourned,” he said. “People have asked can any item be brought back to the floor and the answer is yes, but only if motioned and seconded by two individuals that had cast a prevailing vote. This is done usually to reconsider or reopen discussion. I can honestly state that there was no plan in place to proceed as was done to reconsider any failed articles. I say this by a simple fact. The two failed capital projects were supported by both staff, and I believe four other councilors and others in attendance yet failed to pass. The town easily could have suggested that both capital project articles be brought back up for reconsideration by two individuals on the prevailing side but did not. If the ‘town’ orchestrated Article 8 because ‘it was to their advantage’ as individuals left early, it easily could have done the same with Gambo and the Skate Park articles.” <

Friday, August 28, 2020

Options for voting available for 2020 election

Windham Deputy Town Clerk Pam Cleaves, left,
and Windham Town Clerk Linda Morrell show
a new secure dropbox for absentee voters
near the front door of the Windham Town Hall.
The dropbox was installed in April as a convenient
way for voters to file their absentee ballots
during the COVID-19 crisis.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE
By Matt Pascarella
COVID-19 has complicated a lot in 2020. The presidential election is right around the corner and may have some asking “how can I vote in a safe manner, both for myself and so that my vote gets counted?”
There will be no online voting in Windham or Raymond, but there will be in-person voting for Windham and Raymond residents. If you would rather not vote in-person, you can vote absentee in both towns. Windham absentee ballots will be available late September/early October. Raymond absentee ballots will be available the first week of October.
In Windham, if you are not registered to vote you can stop by Windham Town Hall anytime between now and Election Day, Nov. 3.
If you’d like to vote absentee, registered voters can call 892-1900 and their ballots will be mailed to them. Voters can also stop by the Windham Town Hall and fill out an application and take your ballot home or vote in Town Hall once ballots become available.
You can also fill out an online request at www.windhammaine.us. There is a ballot drop box outside of Town Hall.
If you like to go to the polls on Election Day, voting will be held from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Windham High School.
 Voters need to be aware of limitations because of COVID-19. Social distance markers will be in place. They are only allowed to have 50 people in the gym at one time and that includes election workers.
http://rtprides.org/“If we have a lot of voters go to the polls, they will have quite a wait,” said Windham Town Clerk Linda Morrell.

In Raymond, if you haven’t registered to vote, you may do so by mail by Oct. 13. You may also register in person anytime right up until Election Day at Raymond Town Hall. 
In person voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Jordan Small Middle School gym. It is requested that masks be worn and there will be signage to maintain social distancing. Raymond will also be following safety guidelines, so if you plan to vote in person, you should also be prepared to wait.

If you would like to vote absentee, you may request a ballot online at
www.raymondmaine.org, by mail, by phone (655-4742 ext. 124) or in person, at Raymond Town Hall, once ballots become available.
If you have concerns about your ballot not being counted in time, Raymond Town Clerk, Sue Look, said
absentee voters should request their ballots early enough for them to be returned on time.
To eliminate time for delivery, Look said voters can bring their ballots to the town office or drop them in the drop box outside Raymond Town Hall.

In both Windham and Raymond, ballost will be processed through a voting machine as long as it is received by 8 p.m. on Election Day. All ballots are counted by ballot machines. The only ballots that are hand counted are the ones the machine could not read for some reason.
As long as your ballot makes it in by the 8 p.m. deadline, every effort is made to make sure your vote is counted. In both Windham and Raymond, these processes are done by election clerks from both the Republican and Democratic parties.

If you’re interested in volunteering to help during the 2020 Election, in Windham contact Town Clerk Linda Morrell at 892-1900. In Raymond, contact Town Clerk Sue Look at 655-4742 ext. 124. <

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Voters approve RSU 14 school budget, establish candidate field for general election

Judy Vance, Windham's Registrar of Voters and Deputy Town
Clerk, reviews voter rolls during the Maine State Primary election
conducted at the Windham High School Gymnasium on Tuesday.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE
By Ed Pierce

In-person turnout was light for the Maine State Primary in both Windham and Raymond, but nevertheless, important and significant issues were decided at the polls by voters Tuesday.  

Linda Morell, Windham Town Clerk, oversaw voting in Windham’s District 24 and District 25 at Windham High School and the counting of absentee ballots, which saw a record number requested this election cycle because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Morell said that during a typical election, about 500 absentee ballots are requested from the town’s Registrar of Voters, but more than 2,700 voters chose to vote by the absentee option this time. Storms and heavy rain in the area may have also kept some voters away from the polling place Tuesday.

https://www.egcu.org/rec“Voting has been light here at Windham High School, but we always strive to handle each election with the utmost integrity for all voters,” Morrell said.

Both Morrell and Raymond Town Clerk Sue Look spent weeks leading up to the primary making sure that voting machines were operational and that every voter that requested an absentee ballot received one in a timely fashion.     
 
On the Raymond ballot, incumbent Select Board members Samuel Gifford and Lawrence A. Taylor III ran unopposed for reelection Tuesday for the three-year terms. Gilford received 799 votes and Taylor tallied 757 votes.

Voters in Raymond also were asked to select individuals by write-in for two different three-year seats on the town’s Budget-Finance Committee. Two incumbent serving on that board, Dana Desjardins and Crystal Rogers did not choose to run for reelection and no other candidates filed at the deadline to run for those positions.

Look said that Joe Bruno, who already is a member of the Budget-Finance Committee, received the highest number of write-in votes with six. Kaela Gonzalez, who is already a town employee received four write-in votes.

According to Look, Laurie Forbes and Leigh Walker also tied with Gonzalez for four write-in votes and they will each by asked by the town if they are interested in serving on this committee.

Raymond voters also approved the Town Meeting Warrant articles which included the town’s 2020-2021 $5 million proposed budget and they also approved RSU 14’s $50.8 million proposed budget, with $10.73 million of that amount to be paid by taxpayers in Raymond.

All voting in Raymond was conducted at the Jordan Small Middle School gymnasium with polls remaining open there from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Windham voters resoundingly approved the RSU 14 school budget by a margin of 2,496 to 1,120.

The proposed $15 million bond to invest in high-speed internet was OK’d by Windham voters, 2,729 to 968. That bond proposal also was approved statewide by Maine voters by a margin of 75 percent to 25 percent opposed.

RSU 14’s Adult Education funding was approved, 2,441 to 1,216, as was the district’s School Capital Reserve Fund transfer of unexpended balances, 2,750 to 671.  Voters also granted RSU 14 the authority to issue bonds through the State of Maine’s zero interest rate/loan forgiveness School Renovation Fund Program, with 2,693 voters in favor and 736 opposed.   

https://www.facebook.com/JonathanPriestMetLife/"I would like to thank the communities of Raymond and Windham for the support of our staff through the budget process," said RSU 14 Superintendent of Schools Christopher Howell. "This is especially comforting as we plan for the uncertainty of opening schools in the fall."  

The state Transportation Infrastructure Bond issue also was approved by Windham voters with 2,876 voting for the measure and 849 opposed. That followed a statewide trend which saw voters OK the transportation bond by an overall margin of 78 percent to 23 percent.

The transportation bond authorizes $105 million for the improvement of Maine highways and bridges statewide and accompanies $275 million in federal funding for designated projects in the state. 

The primary results also confirmed opponents for November’s general election for state representative in District 24 and District 25.

As a result of voting Tuesday, Windham Democrat incumbent Mark Bryant will face Republican challenger Nicole Deschambault, also of Windham, for the right to represent District 24 as state representative on Nov. 3, while District 25 will feature a race between Republican incumbent Patrick Corey of Windham and Democrat challenger Jane Pringle.

Pringle, a Windham resident, formerly served as a state representative for House District 111 from 2012 to 2014, but the district was redrawn in 2013 by the Maine Legislature.  

In Windham, the U.S. Senate Democratic Primary voting saw Sara Gideon of Freeport receive 1,429 votes, followed by Betsy Sweet with 381 and Bre Kidman picking up 109 votes. Gideon, who is currently serving as the Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, won the nomination statewide Tuesday and will face incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Susan Collins on Nov. 3.

Raymond’s Democratic Senate Primary results mirrored those of voters in Windham with Gideon receiving 397 votes, Sweet 110 votes and Kidman tallying 34 votes.

Democrat Susan Accardi of Raymond received 111 votes Tuesday and now advances to the Nov. 3 general election to face incumbent Republican Susan Austin of Gray for the Maine House District 67 seat, which includes parts of Raymond, Caso and Gray.

Incumbent State Senator Bill Diamond received 528 votes in Raymond on Tuesday and advances to a Nov. 3 showdown for the Maine Senate District 26 seat against Republican Karen Lockwood of Raymond.

State Representative Jessica Fay of Raymond, a Democrat, received 429 votes in Raymond on Tuesday and will now meet Republican challenger Gregory Foster of Raymond for the Maine House District 66 seat in a rematch of the 2016 election. 

Voters in Raymond also elected Anna Keeney with 316 votes to serve a three-year term representing Raymond on the RSU 14 school board. <


Friday, July 10, 2020

Voters head to polls Tuesday in Windham, Raymond

Windham Deputy Town Clerk Pam Cleaves, left, and
Windham Town Clerk Linda Morrell prepare to collect
absentee ballots filed at a new secure dropbox near the
front door of the Windham Town Hall. The dropbox has
been in place since April and was installed as a
convenient way for voters to file their absentee ballots
during the COVID-19 crisis. Morrell and her staff will also
oversee Tuesday's state primary election in Windham.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE 
By Ed Pierce

Casting a ballot during an election is a right that residents of Windham and Raymond do not take for granted and voting has taken on added significance this summer thanks to COVID-19 restrictions in Maine.

With Maine’s Primary vote pushed from its original date of June 9 to Tuesday, July 14 because of coronavirus concerns, a few local positions will be decided at the ballot box and voters also will approve or reject the proposed RSU 14 budget for the coming year.

Windham Town Clerk Linda Morrell has watched many local elections come and go during her 26 years working for the town, with the last 19 spent supervising the counting of votes here.

Morrell will be back at it again on Tuesday, leading a staff of 24 workers working at the polls on Election Day.

https://www.miracle-ear.com/locations/windham-me/?utm_source=Print&utm_campaign=Links&utm_medium=Short+URLs“We’ve been doing a lot of training preparing our staff for this,” Morrell said. “We have two districts in Windham, District 24 and District 25, and with this being a primary, some workers will be assigned to work the Democrat District 24 and others the Democrat District 25, and the Republican District 24 and Republican District 25.”

All told, Windham has about 13,350 registered voters, Morrell said, but not all of them will be casting ballots at the Windham High School polling place on Election Day.

“The number of those requesting absentee ballots is up significantly because of COVID-19,” Morrell said. “In the past about a little less than a week away from an election we would typically have about 500 requests to vote absentee. As of this past Tuesday, we’ve had about 2,700 voters request absentee ballots.”

To help voters using absentee ballots submit their votes easily during the COVID-19 crisis, a secure dropbox for absentee ballots was installed outside the front doors to the Windham Town Hall in April. 

Along with the task of verifying and counting thousands of absentee ballots, Morrell and Windham Deputy Town Clerk Pam Cleaves will oversee poll workers working that day helping check in voters at Windham High School.

Morrell said that polls open there at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Poll workers are paid $12 per hour and some will work in shifts. Meals will be served to poll workers and Morrell said a few poll workers will be there the entire day from start to finish.

According to Morrell, her greatest nightmare on Election Day would be for voting machines to fail. If that happens Morrell said a repairman will be standing by to resolve any issues that occur Tuesday.

The best thing about working at the polling place on Election Day for Morrell is simple.

“You get to see a lot of people you don’t normally see otherwise,” she said. “I graduated from Windham High School in 1978 and sometimes I see people I knew in school who are there to vote.”

Morrell said preliminary election results are expected to be announced by 9 or 9 :30 p.m. Tuesday.

“We are going to try and handle this election with the utmost integrity and want all of our voters to have a great experience whether they are voting absentee or at the polls on Election Day,” she said.

Raymond Town Clerk Sue Look was busy preparing for Tuesday’s election and unavailable for comment.

On the Raymond ballot though, there are two open seats for the town’s Board of Selectmen to be filled following Tuesday’s voting.

Also on the ballot in Raymond, incumbent board members Samuel Gifford and Lawrence A. Taylor III are running for reelection unopposed for the three-year terms.

Voters in Raymond also will write-in possible candidates for two different three-year seats on the town’s Budget-Finance Committee. Incumbents serving on that board, Dana Desjardins and Crystal Rogers, did not choose to run for reelection and no other candidates filed at the deadline to run for those positions.

Incumbent Anna Keeney is seeking reelection to a three-year term on the Windham-Raymond Schools Board of Directors.

Raymond residents also will cast ballots to approve or reject the town’s proposed $5 million 2020-2021 budget, and vote to approve or reject  RSU 14’s $50.8 million proposed budget, with $10.73 million of that amount to be paid by taxpayers in Raymond.

All voting in Raymond will be conducted at the Jordan Small Middle School gymnasium, 423 Webbs Mills Road.

Like in Windham, polls in Raymond are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

As far as the ballot goes in Windham, voters will be asked to approve or reject RSU 14’s proposed $50.8 million budget and $626,443 for the annual Adult Education budget, with $23.15 million to be paid by Windham taxpayers.

Windham voters also will approve or reject a $2.6 million zero-interest capital bond referendum loan from the Maine Department of Education to renovate five RSU 14 schools bringing them into state health and safety compliance and funding other district facility improvements.

Windham’s polling place for residents of District 24 and District 25
Is at Windham High School at 406 Gray Road with voting scheduled between 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.<