With this infusion of money, the mill rate will now be 13 instead of 15 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007. Last year's mill rate was 17.4

The same amount of money was withdrawn from the reserve funds for the last fiscal year. The only difference is that last year's withdrawal was taken from the interest earned on the money, whereas this year's withdrawal will be taken from the principal.

Former selectman Bill Barnes asked how the interest was spent last year. He was told $400,000 went toward a new fire truck and over $100,000 went to the public works department for a new truck.

One resident asked why towns near Wiscasset, including Damariscotta, Newcastle, Boothbay Harbor and Woolwich, have mill rates lower than Wiscasset's. Selectman chairman Duane Goud told her it's "because of the spending we approved."

"You mean the spending you people approved," she said.

"No," Goud said, "it's you people, the voters, who approved it." Spending items were voted on by referendum ballot in June.

Norm Guidiboni wanted to know how much the town is owed in unpaid taxes. Treasurer Jim George said it's between $100,000 and $200,000.

Former selectman Ben Rines asked how much of an increase in valuation there is this year over last year. Goud said he did not have last year's figure, but the recently completed revaluation puts the number at $457 million. This is the total value of all land and buildings in the town.

Pam Dunning asked if the town is no longer following a policy of using just the interest earned on the reserves, rather than the principal as well.

"It's currently not a policy," Goud said. "But our town manager has suggested that we set a rate for what we will spend from the reserves."

Another resident asked how much money the town would earn in interest if the $900,000 was kept in the reserve fund. Goud said the interest earned has been about five percent, which former budget committee member Dick Grondin quickly calculated would be $45,000.

Goud was asked how the $900,000 figure was arrived at. Goud said it's been an amount equal to two or three mills in the past few years.

"So if we continue to do this every year, it's not going to last forever," former selectman Katharine Martin-Savage said. She suggested the town take out the remaining $6,000 in interest earned last year, but not the rest.

Another resident suggested the town get itself out of its current bind by taking the money, then cut spending to get the mill rate down, then put a cap on the reserves at $10 million and leave it at that amount.

"We're spending more than we're making," he said. "I don't know whose job it is to fix this. I don't think we've accepted the fact that we don't have Maine Yankee anymore."

"If you don't want taxes to go up, vote something down," Martin-Savage said. "Coming up with $900,000 every year isn't the answer."

"I guess we have no one to blame but ourselves," the resident admitted. "We ought to get someone to help us spend our money."

School committee member Tony True got a round of applause after he announced, "I'll tell you why we're spending too much - we're $1.9 million above EPS [the state's recommended amount for Essential Programs and Services] - the schools are spending too much."

Rines was critical of the last minute posting and scheduling of the town meeting. "Last year we decided this on September 12," Rines said. "It's unfortunate it was done this way - it's poor planning."

Goud said one of the delays this year was in getting the auditor's report.

Rines countered by saying "we've had problems with auditors for years. Last year we had a $250,000 surplus - we could be taking out less money. I wish more thought had gone into this. I'm glad I'm not on the board anymore."

Grondin said, "This year we have to absorb the new revaluation. If we were not taking money out of the reserves, it would be a double whammy for the taxpayers. We wanted the people to be able to decide."

After taking the vote, Bill Phinney asked for an opportunity to speak. Phinney asked why the "public comment" agenda item was not listed on this and the previous selectmen's meeting; he also asked why the agenda item has been moved from the top to the bottom.

"We've moved around quite a lot of agenda items," "Goud said. "We'll take it under consideration. I don't have a problem with where it is on the agenda, but we're all under time constraints. It's at my discretion where it goes."

Resident George Green said it was fortunate that the vote wasn't close, adding that some precautions should be taken in the future, if other open town meetings are held, to make sure everyone voting is a registered voter.