INDUSTRY — Elections are set for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 11, followed by the annual Town Meeting at 2 p.m. with both at Industry Town Hall.

Voters will choose one elected position in the morning. Incumbent Lee Ireland is unopposed for another three-year term on the select board.

In the afternoon voters will consider articles relating to the $556,641 budget proposed for 2024, Treasurer/Town Clerk Angela Davis said. The current spending plan of $562,039 approved last year is $5,398 more than the proposed plan, a decrease of 0.96%.

New considerations this year are $5,175 to contract with Archie’s for dumpster rental and removal of recyclables located at the Industry Town Hall, $3,877 to contract with Farmington to use their transfer station for a year, and $30,000 to contract with Farmington and Farmington Fire/Rescue for fire department oversight and fire emergency
response for one year.

According to the town report, access to Farmington’s transfer station would eliminate the need for a large trash day and allow Industry residents to bring their oversized bulky waste, trash, tires, demo waste, etc. for a fee. There will be no fee for recyclable materials, it noted. When asked, Davis indicated the large trash day cost the town about $2,200.

Farmington selectmen approved the emergency response plan in February, contingent on approval by Industry voters at town meeting. Industry Fire Chief Anthony Howard said later he wasn’t part of the discussions but hoped it was a step in the right direction. “This isn’t just an Industry issue, it is all across Maine, and even 90% of the United States probably in rural communities,” he said then.

Approved last year were a $104,000 paving loan payment and $50,000 for design of a new town garage, Davis noted. The garage is on hold, is being hashed around, she stated.

Not having those expenses this year helped offset increases in budget lines and requests for new funding, Davis added.