October 1, 2023
Quarterly Newsletters · 4 pages · 1,332 words · all documents · the town's PDF →
Town of Durham, Maine October 1, 2023
Durham News First Edition Quarterly Newsletter
Afternoon Chat With Jerry Update to the Senior Property Tax
Stabilization Program
Question & Answer Session
with the Town Manager LD 290 “Property Tax Stabilization for Senior Citizens”
Repealed by State Legislature
On the last Wednesday of every month from 2 to
3pm the Town Manager invites you to join him for The LD 290 “Property Tax Stabilization for Senior Citizens” program,
an hour of conversation. This is a good enacted in August 2022, was repealed by the Maine Legislature on
opportunity for you to share your thoughts and July 6, 2023, with an
ideas, or to ask questions about effective date of October
any concerns you may have. 11, 2023. The popularly
To sign up please reach
out to the Town Clerk if
regarded program had
allowed Maine seniors 65
L ED
you are interested in
discussing a topic. The
and older who owned a
permanent residence for at
PE A
RE
rst opportunity will be least 10 years and were
October 25th. receiving (or eligible for) a
homestead exemption, to
Email Town Clerk or freeze taxes at the previous
call: 207-353-2561 ext. 111 year’s level regardless of
income.
Durham Awarded First Place To help low-income seniors avoid higher property taxes and remain in
Winner For Annual Report their homes, two existing State programs are being expanded:
The Town of Durham has been selected as the • The Property Tax Fairness Credit, which currently allows
“supreme” rst place winner of the 2023 Annual eligible Mainers to take a $1,500 credit, has increased to
Report Competition in the 2,500 to 4,999 $2,000; it also loosens limits on the program in a way that
population category. allows the bene ts to remain constant for a Mainer whose
The criteria used by Maine spouse passes away. For more information, please
Municipal Association’s four- visit: Property Tax Fairness Credit Summary
person review panel focused
on the attractiveness of the • The State Property Tax Deferral Program, a lifeline loan
cover and layout, as well as program that covers the annual property tax bills of Maine
reader appeal; the seniors age 65 and older who cannot afford to pay them
presentation of the on their own, has been expanded. It doubles the income
materials, including nancial limit on that program to $80,000 and also raises asset
statements, statistics, and limits. Taxes must be paid back when the home is sold or
trends; and the use of tables becomes part of an estate. For more information, please
of contents, photos, and visit: State Property Tax Deferral Program
graphics to succinctly inform
readers of your community’s achievements.
Durham Annual Report1
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Town of Durham, Maine October 1, 2023
Public Works New Utility Truck The Public Works Department is excited to have received our new Ford F550. We have been requesting an additional truck for the eet for
several years now and she has nally Durham Ball Field arrived. This truck was paid for with federal ARPA (Covid Relief) funds at Durham Youth Baseball has begun work to no direct out of pocket cost to the adjust the out eld fence distance of 165 feet Durham taxpayer. This truck will allow from home plate to 200 feet, to comply with our team more exibility by allowing little league baseball. us to spread out and complete tasks at multiple locations simultaneously.
Additionally, this truck will be a great asset assisting with the 76 miles of winter plowing operations as the 2008 Chevy one ton was being
overburdened.
Runaround Pond
Royal River Conservation Trust
delivered the “Bruce’s Burritos” blue
picnic table to Runaround Pond. Upcoming Board & Committee Meetings
Special thank you to Bruce’s Burritos
for the donation of the table and to
Planning Board Meeting Conservation Commission Meeting
Mike Libby and Michael Friendly for
Durham Town Hall Durham Town Hall
the delivery!
October 4, 2023 October 18, 2023
November 1, 2023 November 22, 2023
December 6, 2023 December 20, 2023
6:30pm 6:30pmSelect Board Meeting Durham Town Hall October 10th & 24th, 2023 November 14th & 28th, 2023 December 12th & 26th, 2023 6:30pm
First Edition Quarterly Newsletter 2
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Town of Durham, Maine October 1, 2023
Staff Highlight
Family Life: Jessica moved to Durham in 2009 with her family. She is very involved in the community, volunteering her time at the school and other community groups.
Dog Registrations Beginning October 15th you will be able to register your dog(s) for the 2024 Calendar Jessica Landberg Year. Please remember a current Town Clerk proof of rabies vaccination is required. The registration Year Started: July 2021 period will be open from October 15th through Favorite thing about your position: I like the various January 31st. A $25 late aspects of the job which allows me to help the residents fee per dog will be added of Durham with everything from birth certi cates to dog after this date. licenses, to helping elect the next presidential candidate.
What do you like to do when you are not working at the Town O ce? I love being outdoors! I enjoy hiking, Vote By Absentee Ballot walking and enjoying Maine’s beautiful coastlines. My Election Day is November 7, 2023 favorite is Popham Beach! Absentee ballots will become available and will be provided to voters beginning in early October.
An absentee ballot request must be received by the Town Clerk by 6pm on Thursday, November 2, 2023.
Absentee Ballot Application
First Edition Quarterly Newsletter 3
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Town of Durham, Maine October 1, 2023
Fun Facts of Durham, Maine
Did you know . . . Durham had it’s own post of ces, one was located on West Methodist Corner, Route 9, inside the Merrill Store.
Durham Fire’s New
Utility Truck #27
This 2022 Ford F-350 is Durham
Fire’s Utility 27. It came equipped
Merrill Store Post
Photos courtesy of the Durham Historical Society Of ce Mail Slot with a Reading service body. The
department uses it as a rapid
response vehicle to respond to all
“Did you know that Durham had several different post of ces located in town emergency scenes. It is also
town? Each of Durham's four settlements (Southwest Bend, West used to shuttle members between
Durham [Methodist Corner], South Durham and East Durham) had a simultaneous calls, carry needed
post of ce located within. Southwest equipment to remote occupancies,
Bend had the ES Warren Store, South transport damaged or used
Durham had Hussey's Store, West equipment and hoses, and set up
Durham was Merrill's Store and the barricades during storm responses.
location and name of East Durham's It carries medical, forceable entry
store is unknown at this time. In and rescue equipment.
addition, Shiloh had its own post of ce.
Each of the post of ce locations also
served as a General's Store. By 1920,
all the post of ces were replaced with October
Rural Free delivery. In 1991, Durham is Fire Safety
was granted its own zip code, with Month
service through the Lisbon post of ce.
Before that, the town was served by William Merrill inside his store.
• Make sure smoke
rural routes from four surrounding
alarms are working
towns. The picture shown is of Merrill's Store, which was located on
properly
West Methodist Corner, Route 9. The building, but not the barn, was still
standing into the 1950's. William Merrill (shown in the picture), owned • Create a Home Escape
the store on Methodist Plan
Corner. William had a twin
brother named Joseph. The • Do not run a generator
Historical Society is now indoors or in a partially
home to post of ce mail slots enclosed space like a
that were once housed within garage.
the Merrill Store.”
Durham Fire Department
Open House ~ October 7th
10 to 2
Merrill’s Store is the building on the left.
~ Tia Wilson
Durham Historical Society
First Edition Quarterly Newsletter 4
fi fi fi fi fi fi fi fi fiSource: todnewsletter_fall_2023_.pdf on durhammaine.gov. Text extracted with pdftotext; no wording has been corrected.