Lebanon Select Board votes to carry forward $30,000 for transfer station upgrades

A majority of the Town of Lebanon Select Board voted June 30 to carry forward $30,000 in unspent funds from a June 2025 ballot question so the money remains dedicated to transfer station capital improvements.

The motion, moved and seconded during the meeting, instructed town staff to keep the $30,000 in the fiscal-year 2027 budget dedicated to transfer-station upgrades, including purchase and installation of a scale and compactor. A board member added a caveat that the carry-forward is subject to legal review "unless our legal council says this is not allowable by law." The board then voted in favor.

The board discussed the municipal-accounting treatment of ballot-directed capital funds and agreed the money is legally intended for the transfer-station project rather than general operations, but members said they would seek confirmation from counsel before finalizing any reallocation. A board member also said they would email the Maine Municipal Association (MMA) for guidance.

Board members identified the project as near-ready: pavement work at the transfer station has been completed, and the plan is to bring in the scale and compactor once site preparations and recycling upgrades are finished. Members said carrying the funds forward avoids the risk that the money would be absorbed into general balances and become unavailable for the intended capital project.

Next steps: staff will route the motion’s language and the board’s request for legal review to the town attorney and MMA, and move forward with the procurement timetable for the scale and compactor if counsel confirms the carry-forward is allowable.