FARMINGTON — Directors of RSU 9 voted Tuesday to pay off over five years almost $2 million to shift salaries to fit a new financial year.

Despite rejecting the proposal at its Sept. 10 meeting, a motion was made and seconded to accept the plan with little discussion. It was approved by a vote of 8-2.

For many years, salaries earned between September and June have been spread out through July and August so staffers have summer paychecks. Adjusting the fiscal year has created a situation in which 14 months’ worth of salaries has to be covered in a 12-month budget.

The approved plan calls for $600,000 to be taken from the district’s undesignated funds account this year. Another $80,000 will be paid from 2021 and 2022 budgets. In 2023, 2024 and 2025, $400,000 will be paid from each of those years’ budgets. The jump to $400,000 in 2023 coincides with a bond for Mt. Blue Middle School of $328,000 annually being paid off in fiscal year 2022.

Director Dennis O’Neil of Farmington was one of the dissenting voices, reiterating his view from the Sept. 10 meeting that taking five years to address the matter could cost the district an additional $300,000.

Chairwoman CherieAnn Harrison agreed but questioned the impact a shorter-term payment plan would have on district taxes and reasoned that the more conservative, five-year plan was more feasible.

“Salaries are going up,” Harrison said. “They will impact our budgets. We have x-factors we can’t predict either, like what will be the extent of the state’s contributions to the new salary law, and what will our communities support in raising taxes?”

From left, RSU 9 Director Irving Faunce of Wilton, student representatives Riley Drummond and Olivia Schanck of Wliton and Director Carol Coles of Starks talk at a board meeting Tuesday night. Franklin Journal photo by Nicole Carter

Superintendent Tina Meserve added that state-mandated raises and pending facilities needs would have unknown effects on budgets (and taxes) over the next few years. Her staff had discussed the scenarios with accounting auditors who confirmed that other districts tended to go with longer-term plans for the same issue.

The meeting opened with a moment of silence to honor the Farmington firefighters and LEAP employee who were killed or injured in a Sept. 16 building explosion.

Mt. Blue Middle School Principal James Black and Mt. Blue High School Principal Monique Poulin spoke of the fundraising efforts at sporting events last week and in school. At a high school field hockey game against Bangor, Bangor’s team captain delivered an envelope to the Cougars full of donation money.

Meserve noted that a Leavitt team had held a 50/50 fundraiser and donated the proceeds to the Farmington Fire Department, and that schools from other districts around the state had extended similar gestures.

“We saw a great response on Wear Red Day, with donations going to the United Way,” Black said. “Students could also wear hats in school for the day by paying $1 — that was big as well.”

“It was just a sea of red at Friday night’s football game,” said Director Betsey Hyde. Incidentally, Hyde was the winner of a 50/50 raffle held that night, and she donated her winnings back to the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area’s LEAP explosion fund.