KINGFIELD -– On Nov. 9 about 30 voters at a Kingfield Special Town Meeting made significant changes affecting municipal affairs. Three articles were debated that evening. Through an overwhelming majority, changes were made to the town’s fiscal calendar, the town’s number of selectmen and voters supported ongoing public transportation infrastructure.

All three debates that evening had to do with why these important issues were not going before the voters at the Annual Town Meeting.

Selectmen Neal McCurdy explained that the issue of changing the town’s fiscal cycle from a calendar year beginning on Jan. 1 to a fiscal year beginning on July 1, stemmed from a request from a committee set up by the town.

He said this article was not driven by the board of selectmen. The group was formed to look into whether or not the first Saturday morning in March was the best time and date for the Annual Town Meeting.

The committee was driven by resident Jack McKee. He and others realized that there was no better date and time for a town meeting with a calendar fiscal period. After surveying other municipalities, the concept evolved into changing the fiscal year.

Changing the fiscal year, changes the date and time for the annual town meeting. The selectmen agreed that a late May or early June Town Meeting would attract a greater representation of the town.

For years, board chairman Heather Moody explained, people have had to choose between going to work during one of the busier times on the moun- tain, and going to town meeting. “Before I was selectmen I’d have to choose between a $100 lunch shift or coming to town meeting,” she explained.

“Our Town Meeting has been very discriminatory for the employees of Sugarloaf. I have felt for years that we have not had an honest representation of the entire population of Kingfield. I would certainly think that we would have greater representation,” resident Bill Houston explained.

“This committee was asked to look into changing the date and time of town meeting,” said resident John Dill. “Now they want to change the fiscal year. It seems as though this has turned out to be more then it needs to be.”

Resident Betty Ann Listowich said this is a fairly dramatic change for the municipality. “I’m appreciative of the people that are here tonight and took the time to come, but it makes me nervous to do something this major at a special town meeting and not an annual,” Listowich explained.

McCurdy explained that if they waited for the next March meeting and voted to accept the change, the new fiscal period would not come into place for a whole year.

With the popular vote, residents would now still meet in March to adopt a six month budget and then again in June to pass a one-year budget starting July 1 and ending of June 30.

Meeting moderator Raymond Meldrum explained that the one year budget cycle would be aligned with the school’s fiscal period and the county expenses would be known. Selectman Merv Wilson also said that the entire winter snow removal costs would be included in one budget rather than being split. “There really are not going to be a lot of negatives except its going to be a tough first year,” Wilson said.

Property taxes and when they were due drew much conservation.

McCurdy said that he assumed that they’ll use the same valuations as they used this year and send out bills in March or April for a six month budget. A second bill would then again go out in September for the one year budget cycle.

The selectmen unanimously stated that they did not feel that the early discount offer would go away.

The Town of Phillips recently changed its fiscal year. Town Manager Jim Collins said that many people had concerns with the tax structure. Meaning he said that some people we’re disgruntled because they had to pay for 18 months of town cost, in a oneyear period.

On that, McCurdy said he was not opposed to a discussion of setting a structure where two bills, for half of the annual taxes are issued and due within this one year cycle or any in the future. In theory, this would eliminate the high cost of the transition.

An article was debated whether the town should raise and appropriate an amount to not exceed $3,000 to continue the Sugarloaf Explorer shuttle service. This service, in its fourth year, has been offered to transport Kingfield residents and guests to Sugarloaf on weekends, holidays and school vacations.

For the past three years the town’s recreation department has footed the bill as the lead sponsor, followed by local businesses and clubs.

This year the recreation department lost a significant portion of its fundraising revenue.

The department used to participate in an annual homecoming auction partnering with various Carrabassett Valley organizations over the years. This year a Carrabassett organization decided to participate alone.

“On a side note from a business who gives to the auction each year, half of that money raised each year would go to our town’s rec board. It is this money that paid for the transportation service,” Listowich said.

“In the course of changing events throughout the area, that money is apparently no longer available,” she added.

Houston agreed and said because the money was raised at Sugarloaf, the vision was to give residents more recreational opportunities, while at the same time they really tried to create a longstanding partnership by giving back to the mountain.

“It was really coincidental that we were asked not to come back to the auction this year, and at the same time Carrabassett in working in a long term regional plan had asked the town to participate. That’s why the item is on the warrant. It’s not just the loss of the revenue of the auction, the Town of Carrabassett Valley has a regional plan, and Western Maine Transportation was looking at regional expansion,” Houston said.

He also noted that the rec board did not ask for the article to be on the warrant, it was the invitation of WMTS and CV.

Dill asked questions about the financial figures and asked a representative of the board if they could pay this season so that this issue would go to Town Meeting in March.

It was mentioned by a rec board representative that the question was a decision for the board, and not any one individual.

Dill amended the motion to spend no more then $2,400 a minimum cost as identified that evening.

Other entities and businesses have said they’ll contribute to the cost annually, said Administrative Assistant Doug Marble.

The article held the floor for nearly 30 minutes. The amendment and the article were passed nearly unanimously.

The final article increased the number of selectmen on the board from three to five members.

Resident Robert Barnes questioned the need and asked if the added cost was necessary. “That’s not etched in stone,” Moody said. The pay for the selectmen is decided by the voters at each Town Meeting, she explained.

Wilson noted that he felt it was good to go to five selectmen, because right now the entire town can be run by decisions of just two people.

“We thought that the more people we would get, the more opinions we would have of the populous… It would bring more diversity to the board.”

“This is another one of those things that should be done at a regular town meeting,” Dill said.

McCurdy agreed, stating he voted against the article going on the warrant. “Not that I’m against it, I felt it should go before a regular town meeting. It does not matter to me which way it goes, but I wanted it to be decided by more people,” McCurdy explained.

Moody explained that the article was presented by the selectmen, and stressed that more members would limit the potential of illegal meetings. Meaning, at the current structure if two selectmen (a quorum) happen to be in the town office at the same time and talk about business that could determine an outcome for the public, it is considered a selectmen’s meeting and is illegal.

“I’m on a board of a non-profit that has 28 members on the board,” Houston said, “because more people get more done.”

After continued friendly debate with a few laughs in between, the motion passed to allow five selectmen on the board. When exactly the elections will be held was not determined that evening.