Damariscotta and Newcastle held their annual town meetings on the same day, June 14. Except for one issue in each town, the town meetings approved the budgets without much discussion. Newcastle’s budget is $1.52 million, a decrease of 10.8 percent, after the retirement of some debt and the outsourcing of what had been known as the Public Works Department. Damariscotta’s budget is nearly flat at $2.37 million,  a 1.8 percent increase.

Damariscotta held its meeting at Great Salt Bay School at 7 p.m.

The only disputed article in Damariscotta was Article 17, which addresses community services, including the town clock and holiday spending, most of which is spent on fireworks on the Fourth of July. The budget committee had zeroed out the fireworks appropriation, but selectmen put it back in. During town meeting, an objection was raised about the fireworks spending. The cost was about $3,000, with the entire article costing $4,250.  After discussion, the town voted 24-23 to keep the fireworks spending in the budget.

Except for that, the meeting proceeded quickly. Town Manager Matt Lutkus explained some of the articles, while Fire Chief John Roberts explained that the tanker truck recommendation had to be addressed at town meeting because of the time it takes to order the truck and have it built.

Mary Pat McLean was appointed to the Cemetery Committee, and Karen O’Bryan, Joyce Polyniak, Susana French, and Dana Orenstein were appointed to three-year terms on the Budget Committee, but there are still spaces vacant for other shorter terms, and selectmen asked anyone who might be interested in serving to contact them.

Prior to the town meeting, selectmen held their second meeting of the month, and a reception for the Spirit of America award recipients, the Riverfront Park cleanup committee.

There were several other awards and acknowledgments as well, including a special “Lifesaving” award given to Officer Erick Halpin, who saved a young man on June 2 from an opioid overdose death by a timely arrival and administering naloxone. Board of Selectmen chair Robin Mayer acknowledged James Cosgrove, who was leaving the board after a single term. The selectmen gave Cosgrove a work of art and wished him well.

Over in Newcastle, where the town meeting was held at the Lincoln Academy cafeteria, the meeting went even faster. Only one article raised any concern, Article 8, which covers all issues related to the fire department. Fire Chief Clayton Huntley received a 16.03 percent raise, owing to federal regulations that would make anything less than his proposed salary of $47,476 eligible for overtime pay. Because a fire chief can be called out at any hour, Huntley has been on salary, but at his previous salary, he would have been on overtime for many of the calls.

A debate ensued and an amendment was proposed, but in the end, the amendment to reduce the salary was defeated and the article passed easily. The fire department’s budget for this fiscal year is $137,700, a decrease of $71,552 or 34.19 percent, largely because work at the River Road and Sheepscot stations has been completed. The work included a new roof, energy-efficient LED lighting fixtures, and repairs to weather-damaged doors.