PERHAM, Maine—Perham voters recently voted at their annual town meeting to approve $129,000 for their Highway Department 2011-2012 budget. In addition, they also voted to raise $15,000 specifically to chip seal portions of Tangle Ridge Road in designated locations in order to keep the dust down on what is otherwise a dirt road. This brings the town's total Highway Department budget to $144,000 which is $22,000 less than what the selectmen were recommending.

“$129,000 plus the $15,000 brings you up to $144,000; that's what they spent last year and that's where I think they should be,” said Ellie Jordan. “I know fuel is going up and I know gas is going up. I understand that. But I also know that there are other things that could be cut.”

“I think that might be dangerous in the respect that we don't know what we're going to have for a winter,” said Roger Connelly. “We've had some good winters here for two years. If you're down to $129,000 I don't think that gives our selectmen enough money to play with on things we can't control.”

“It's not a total of $129,000, it's a total of $144,000,” explained Jordan. "They are allowed by law to overdraw highways so if they have to, they have to."

It was noted that state law currently allows municipalities to overdraw their highway department budgets by 10%. Deborah Viola suggested that if there is a really bad winter, or a Spring flood that requires the expenditure of money above and beyond the highway department's budget, FEMA will generally provide financial reimbursement to towns for those expenses. “We might have to put it out there, but we will get reimbursed for it,” she said.

Jordan said if there was an issue that needed to be dealt with, a special selectmen's meeting could be called to raise the additional amount. “I just think this makes everybody be cautious,” said Jordan, “not to call because there's a pothole somewhere that you can drive around and they've got to be cautious on what they're spending.”

One elderly voter spoke up and said, “I don't know about anybody else, but I guess all the old people are going to have to move out of town anyway because our Cost of Living Allowance has not gone up since 2008. I don't know where they buy the gas or where they buy the food but I know my taxes and everything else goes up.”

“You hear [the cliché] 'Champagne taste, beer pocketbook.' We want a lot of things but we can't afford it,” said Viola. “We're 400 people, 180 households. Every household I know, every family is cutting corners. If we have to do something a little differently and be a little bit more adventurous in our thinking, I think we need to do it.”

A question of contracting out the Highway Department services was raised. It was noted that it had been discussed a few years ago, but is currently not being considered.

The voters of Perham voted to approve $129,000 for their Highway Department with the total being derived from: URIP, $24,000; Surplus, $20,000; Excise, $40,000 and the balance from taxation.

Because Perham has a town meeting form of government, unlike a town council, the voters who live in the town actually determine how much money is to be spent, and on what, not the selectmen. It is simply the job of the selectmen to carry out the voters' decisions. Fort Fairfield used to have a town meeting form of government, but opted to change to town council form over 40 years ago.