FARMINGTON — Residents at the annual town meeting Monday, March 28, will decide on a $5.4 million budget that includes funding four full-time firefighters.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Community Center. 

Election of two selectmen and three school board directors will take place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday at the Community Center.

Selectmen Joshua Bell and Michael Fogg are seeking three-year terms.

Douglas Dunlap and Scott Erb are candidates for three-year terms on the Regional School Unit 9 board of directors. Ryan Morgan seeks one-year term.

The difficulties of recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters prompted Farmington Fire and Rescue Chief Terry Bell to request an increase of $32,979 to hire four full-time firefighters for the remainder of the year.

Selectmen are recommending the town keep the Fire Department’s budget at last year’s amount, $401,513, while the Budget Committee recommends funding the requested $434,492.

Voters will consider amending a municipal tax-increment financing district established in 2014. The meeting will serve as a public hearing for the amendment, Town Manager Richard Davis said.

“A need to encourage expansion and improvement of commercial facilities within the 2014 district” is part of the purposed reasoning for amending the downtown TIF district, according to the warrant.

If approved, the former Tri-County Mental Health property, Roderick-Crosby Post 28 American Legion property and some streets will be added to the TIF district.

Voters will also consider authorizing selectmen to accept a pedestrian easement and maintenance deed, and agreement for the downtown alley known as Reny’s Way. The town is creating a public parking lot at Church and Cony streets. The deed and agreement would provide pedestrian access from the lot to Broadway through the alley between Reny’s department store and the Homestead Kitchen, Bar and Bakery Restaurant.

Taxpayers will also consider appropriating up to $60,000 from the Unassigned Fund Balance to complete replacement of the failing drainage pipe running from Front Street to the Sandy River.

About $42,000 of the $300,000 appropriated for the project in 2015 has been spent on preliminary studies, soil testing and engineering. The Unassigned Fund Balance has about $1.60 million.  

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