JAY — Selectpersons approved a 41-article town warrant Monday to go before voters April 23 at the Community Building.

The warrant represents a proposed $5.3 million municipal budget. Among the articles is consideration of enacting a Special Amusement Ordinance and consideration of authorizing the operation of adult use and medical use marijuana related facilities in the town.

It does not include the town’s share of the Regional School Unit 73 budget or the Franklin County budget.

A public hearing on the warrant is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, March 11, in the library at Spruce Mountain High School.

The proposed spending package for 2019-20 reflects a decrease of $858,808, or 13.92 percent, from this fiscal year, which ends June 30. Much of the decrease is due to the town not having to give Verso Corp. a credit on its taxes during the next fiscal year beginning July 1. The town will satisfy the $4 million settlement for overvaluation of the Androscoggin Mill and associated equipment in April.

After factoring in an estimated $1.95 million in revenues, the amount taxpayers would need to raise is about $3.35 million.

Selectpersons voted Monday to certify a proposed Special Amusement Ordinance that outlines the process to obtain a permit. The document sets an annual permit fee of $25 for a business with the sale and consumption of liquor on premises and offering music, dancing or entertainment of any sort, except for radio or other mechanical device, on the premise.

State law requires towns to have a Special Amusement Ordinance if they want to regulate and issue permits for special amusement, Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere said. The town charges a $10 fee.

Voters will also be asked if they want to authorize the Select Board to negotiate and execute multiyear contracts, including but not limited to, contracts for agreements for auditing, assessing, solid waste disposal, equipment purchasing, leasing and maintenance, and collective bargaining.

Another article asks if voters want to split the cost of a school resource officer with RSU 73. The $50,000 from each would include startup costs, salary, benefits, setting up an office, computer and gas. The officer would work 39 weeks in the schools and 13 weeks on patrol with the Jay Police Department. The second year the estimated cost would be about $80,000 with RSU 73 paying 75 percent and the town 25 percent.

The RSU 73 budget is not finalized.

Voters will also be asked to transfer $13,615 from the undesignated fund to the Poland Sullivan account to fund the Poland Sullivan Scholarship to its original principal of $17,500 in accordance to the last will and testament of Delia Sullivan.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net