Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
China Select Board approves municipal warrant, adjusts PERS eligibility and sets aside funds for fire truck
Summary
At its April 6 meeting the China Select Board approved the municipal warrant for the June 9, 2026 Town Meeting (including $1,822,200 estimated non-property revenues and multiple appropriations), voted to expand PERS eligibility for certain full‑time employees effective July 1, 2026, and authorized up to $200,000 toward a fire truck purchase.
China’s Select Board on April 6 approved the municipal warrant to be presented at the June 9, 2026 Town Meeting and took a set of related budget and policy votes affecting municipal revenues, appropriations and employee retirement eligibility.
The board adopted Article 2, which lists estimated non‑property tax revenues for fiscal year 2026/2027 totaling $1,822,200 (Excise Taxes $1,060,000; Other Town Revenue $482,000; Transfer Station Revenue $254,900; FirstPark $25,300). On separate motions the board authorized the use of up to $550,000 from unassigned fund balance to meet next year’s expenses (Article 3) and voted to raise and appropriate $1,171,700 for municipal services expenses (Article 4). Several budget articles recorded unanimous 5‑0 votes; a few items were recorded as 4‑0‑1 where an abstention was noted in the minutes.
The board approved a series of departmental appropriations: Article 6 for Public Safety at $621,657; Article 7 for Transfer Station operations at $679,935; and Article 8 for Public Works at $1,820,825 (the latter includes an estimated $72,000 in revenue from the State of Maine’s Local Road Assistance Program, noted in the warrant). The Select Board also approved smaller line items, contingency funding from unassigned balances, and administrative authorizations that allow the board to expend or carry forward funds and accept grants or gifts during the fiscal year.
On personnel policy, the board approved Article 30 to change eligibility for the Maine Public Employees Retirement System’s Participating Local District Plan (P0235). Effective July 1, 2026, full‑time Town employees who regularly work 35 or more hours per week for 52 weeks per year will be eligible for the plan. The motion preserves exclusions for part‑time, seasonal, temporary employees, election workers and elected officials, and authorizes Town Manager Rebecca J. Hapgood to sign the clarified Amended Agreement with MEPERS.
The board also approved Article 32, authorizing up to $200,000 from Unassigned Fund Balance toward the purchase of a new or used fire truck for one of the Town’s volunteer fire departments; the minutes state that if the funding remains unused by June 30, 2028 the funds will revert to unassigned fund balance. That motion was recorded 4‑0‑1 with Thomas Rumpf noted in the minutes as the lone recorded abstention.
All warrant approvals will appear on the warrant for voters to act on at the June 9, 2026 Town Meeting. The Select Board’s motions and vote tallies are recorded in the meeting minutes.
