Despite a hefty price increase, Alternative Organizational Structure 98 approved a one-year contract extension with Berry, Talbot, and Royer to provide accounting services. On Feb. 6, the board made up of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Southport, Edgecomb and Georgetown school boards voted 10-3 with one abstention to extend the contract. AOS 98 contracted with BTR for $224,550.

Boothbay member John Bertolet opposed the extension. He described the rate increase as “double” and favored seeking an in-house option for the next fiscal year. Boothbay Harbor member Stephanie Hawke and Southport member Kathy Tibbetts also voted against the extension.

“I’d like to see what kind of price we can get by going out to bid. It cost about $112,000 this year. I can’t imagine what the price will be a year from now,” Bertolet said. 

But other members were satisfied with BTR’s overall performance. Edgecomb member Heather Sinclair said BTR provided the AOS business office with a strong level of accounting expertise. “I’m thrilled with their work,” she said. “Their accountants answer large scale questions and provide recommendations for handling carryovers, creating reserve accounts, and seeking grants. They have elevated our ability to make strong fiscal recommendations and I strongly recommend we stay with the firm.”  

In the end, a compromise was struck. The AOS would continue with BTR for another year and form a committee to explore other options. Southport member Nick Ullo believed an April deadline for finding a BTR replacement was not enough time. He recommended extending the contract with a caveat. He proposed the AOS form a financial services committee to research options and make a recommendation in six months. “I thought we were going to do this last year. So I suggest we extend for another year and begin searching for other options because I don’t think it can be accomplished by April,” he said. 

The AOS and BTR had an agreement a contract extension would be reached by April, according to Superintendent Bob Kahler. 

In a separate vote, the board voted 12-1 with Boothbay member Bruce MacDonald voting against forming a financial services committee to explore other options. Edgecomb member Nicole Price lost contact with the Zoom meeting and did not cast a vote. MacDonald abstained in the first vote.

Under the cost sharing agreement, each town’s portion of BTR’s $224,500 fee is as follows: Boothbay/Boothbay Harbor, $126.640; Edgecomb, $51,904; Southport, $11,876; and Georgetown, $34,079.