BUCKFIELD — The Buckfield Village Corporation Board of Assessors voted unanimously Wednesday to cancel its annual meeting in light of new statewide restrictions on gatherings.

Since 2009, the Buckfield Village Corporation – the town’s water district – has run in the red for seven of those years. The Board of Assessors is asking for a 15% rate increase across the board, which is the first request in 12 years. Graphic courtesy of the Buckfield Village Corporation

Assessors also discussed their first rate increase request in 12 years.

The cancellation was in response to Gov. Janet Mills’ executive order issued Wednesday prohibiting gatherings of 10 or more people until further notice.

The corporations’ annual meeting set for Tuesday, March 24, will be rescheduled once gathering restrictions have been lifted. ‘

The corporation is the water district that serves 151 customers.

The assessors also used part of the governor’s previous order allowing public entities to meet by remote participation and hosted their meeting via phone.

After some discussion, the assessors agreed there was no way to conduct the annual meeting that would be fair to ratepayers and follow the new statewide gathering limits.

Assessors’ Chairwoman Colleen Halse said the rate increase application is almost complete and they’re waiting for some additional financial and fire information before sending it to the Public Utilities Commission.

She said after the meeting that her perspective about water rates shifted after being elected to the board and learning the water district was in the red.

“I originally attended meetings before I joined the board and basically gave them a hard time (that) our water was so expensive,” Halse said. “The reality is we have such a small customer base. We have all the responsibilities and scale of a . . . water district without the clients to actually support it.”

Assessors have asked for a 15% rate increase across the board. It is the first rate increase request since 2008.

Since 2009, the corporation’s net expenses were higher than its income for seven of the past 11 years.

In 2009, the corporation was in the red by $24,228; in 2010 by $2,661; in 2014 by $4,915; in 2015 by $4,342; in 2017 by $20,005; in 2018 by $11,082, and in 2019 by $11,179, according to a corporation document. The amounts total $77,412.

For residential properties, the proposed water rates would increase from $161 a quarter to $185.15. That is an annual increase of $97.80.

For municipal buildings and properties, the town would go from paying $58,158 annually to $66,883, if the higher rates were approved.

“No one wants to raise rates. These are challenging times for people and they’re getting more difficult right now,” Halse said. “This is last thing we want to do and we have no choice.”

If the rate increase is approved by the PUC, a public hearing will be held at a later date.