Skowhegan voters approve $522,312 transfer to Recreation Athletic Complex reserve

Voters at a Town of Skowhegan meeting in August 2025 approved transferring $118,765.05 from the Fire Station Building Repair Reserve and $403,547.35 from the Public Safety Building Reserve, for a total of $522,312.40, into the Recreation Athletic Complex Reserve to provide cash on hand as construction work continues.

Town staff said the transfer is intended to cover invoices for the recreation complex this fall while the town awaits federal grant funds for a later phase of the project. "This amount is 522,000," a staff member said during discussion, describing the planned move of two capital-reserve balances into the athletics reserve.

The staff member told voters the old fire station fund is effectively dormant because the building is no longer used by the fire department; moving $118,765.05 from that reserve would consolidate unused capital into the athletic project. The $403,547.35 from the Public Safety Building Reserve was described as the most liquid portion staff could safely move now to avoid needing a special meeting to cover near-term bills.

Residents asked how the transfer would be repaid if federal funds do not arrive on schedule and whether moving the money would leave the town exposed to other emergencies, such as sewer repairs. The staff member replied that the town could borrow from the municipal bond bank or a regular bank if necessary and that remaining reserve balances and other athletic-reserve monies would be used first. "We will owe over $750,000 on the project," the staff member said when asked about outstanding obligations.

The staff member said the town is bidding phase 2, part 1 of the project while federal funds are scheduled under a later phase; if those federal funds arrive sooner, the town plans to apply them to the work and restore any reserves not spent. The staff member emphasized the intent is not to spend the entire transferred amount and that leftover funds would be returned to their original purposes at a later meeting if grant dollars materialize.

After discussion and public questions, the moderator put the motion to approve the article as written to a voice/hand vote. The moderator declared the motion carried; an exact roll-call tally was not recorded in the meeting record.

The vote moves the $522,312.40 into the Recreation Athletic Complex Reserve immediately; town officials said they will monitor grant timing and bring any return or reallocation of funds back to voters if necessary.