Bowdoinham’s budget picture got a bit gloomier this week after the Select Board decided it will ask residents to borrow up to $1 million to repair serious foundation and roof structural issues at the Town Hall.
Town residents will see that bond issue on the town warrant at a June 14 town meeting.
Board member Allen Acker said the estimate for repairs came from a historical preservation firm hired by the town, but the project has not yet been sent out to bid.
“It was like a kick in the face after everything we have already been through with our budget this year,” he said.
Last month, the board proposed a $3.9 million budget for the 2024 fiscal year — a 48.7% jump from 2023. The increase came after lengthy negotiations for ambulance services resulted in costs increasing from $50,000 per year to $150,000 per year.
The previously proposed budget was expected to raise taxes for Bowdoinham residents by 13%.
Town Manager Nicole Briand declined to say Wednesday how this new addition would impact taxes but said the bond rate and period would add $85,000-$100,000 to the town’s debt service.
Acker said the Town Hall is a historic structure that hosts dances, annual rummage and plant sales, and local elections, which are now relocated to alternate locations. He said the Town Hall will remain closed to the public until further notice.
“Several years ago, we formed a Town Hall repair committee, which then had a fundraising subcommittee that raised enough funds for timber-framing preservation,” Acker said. “Initially, we thought it could all be done with fundraising and corporate donors, but now the figures and time frame are so daunting.”
The next Select Board meeting is at 5:30 p.m. on May 30.
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