Voters approve Clean Elections referendum and two state bond questions
Edgecomb resident Stuart Smith circulated two petitions on Election Day. Smith asked voters to support a local petition to place a measure on the May town meeting warrant. The measure would require all boat excise taxes be dedicated to the Woodend Account. The second petition is a statewide effort to reform welfare and reduce the state individual income tax rate to four percent. Smith hopes the statewide petition will be placed on either the June or November 2016 referendum ballot. BILL PEARSON/Boothbay Register.
Edgecomb resident Stuart Smith circulated two petitions on Election Day. Smith asked voters to support a local petition to place a measure on the May town meeting warrant. The measure would require all boat excise taxes be dedicated to the Woodend Account. The second petition is a statewide effort to reform welfare and reduce the state individual income tax rate to four percent. Smith hopes the statewide petition will be placed on either the June or November 2016 referendum ballot. BILL PEARSON/Boothbay Register.
Boothbay peninsula voters mirrored results around the state in supporting all three questions on the statewide ballot. Maine voters approved changing the state’s Clean Election Law and approved a $15 million housing bond and an $85 million transportation bond. Voters in Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Edgecomb also supported all three ballot measures, while Southport voters approved two of the three questions. Southport voters favored passage of both bonds, but voted 83-91 against the Clean Election Law changes.
According to the Maine Secretary of State’s office, 20 percent of voters statewide participated in the November referendum election. Question One easily passed with nearly 55 percent of the vote. Yes received 106,429 to no’s 87,201.
With 85 percent of precincts reporting, Maine voters changed the 15-year-old Clean Election Law. The changes allow publicly funded legislative candidates to qualify for additional money and require campaigns to provide more information about who finances their campaigns. The new law also increases penalties for campaign finance violations.
The two bond questions were approved by large margins. Question Two approved a $15 million bond for construction, reconstruction, of new energy-efficient affordable housing for seniors. Question Two passed with 69.22 percent of the vote. Mainers approved the question 134,285 to 59,724.
Question Three requested voters approve an $85 million bond for construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of highways bridges and for facilities and equipment related to ports, harbors, marine transportation, freight and passenger railroads, aviation, transit and bicycle and pedestrian trails. Question Three passed 140,881 to 53,004. The state will also receive an estimated $121,500,000 match in federal and other funds.
The only local referendum question was in Boothbay where voters approved the town’s new comprehensive plan 436 to 211. This is the first comprehensive plan update since 1989. Of Boothbay’s 2,551 registered voters, 661 voted, or 25.9 percent of the electorate participated.
Boothbay approved Question One 376 to 283. Question Two passed 472 to 184, and Question Three passed 526 to 133.
In Boothbay Harbor, 422 of the 1,704 or 24.7 percent of the electorate voted. Question One passed 248 to 173. Question Two passed 306 to 116. And Question Three passed 344 to 76.
In Southport, 174 of the 542 or 32.1 percent of the electorate voted. Unlike its peninsula neighbors, Southport voted against the new Clean Election Law 83 to 91. Southport voters supported the low-income senior housing and transportation bonds. Question Two passed 110 to 62. And Question Three passed 128 to 41.
In Edgecomb, 233 of 1,025 or 22.6 percent of registered voters participated. Edgecomb voters supported all three proposals. Question One passed 133 to 100. Question Two passed 162 to 69. And Question Three passed 175 to 57.
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