South Portland voters will be asked to make their voices heard on several questions this November, including a proposed charter amendment and three school bonds.
The first question on the ballot asks voters if they would like to require citizen approval for the sale, lease, trade, or gift of three key City-owned properties: Mill Creek Park, Bug Light Park, and Hinkley Park.
This proposed charter amendment stems from a months-long discussion by the City Council with roots in the Council’s 2019 decision to incorporate the Open Space Plan into their 2012 Comprehensive Plan.
At that time, the City created a property tiering ordinance by which “non-tax-acquired City-owned parcels would be designed into one of three tiers.” Nearly two years later, the Council amended the ordinance to create “the process for and requirements for tiering City-owned property.”
In February of 2023, the Council considered designating a portion of Bug Light Park as a Tier 1 property — the most protected class — but ultimately decided against doing so as it would have ceded a great deal of “power over the property to another entity.”
Several months later, the Council reviewed several options for protecting Tier 1 public lands that did not involve establishing conservation easements with non-City bodies.
On September 12 of last year, the City Council was presented with a draft charter amendment requiring citizen approval for the sale or lease of Mill Creek Park, Bug Light Park, and Hinkley Park. Although Councilors were supportive of this approach, they “wanted additional time to consider whether other properties should be added.”
A month later, the Council ultimately directed staff to include these same three properties, and only these properties, in a proposed charter amendment requiring voter approval to be sold.
During a public hearing held on February 20 of this year, there was discussion of possibly adding a prohibition on “development” into the proposed charter, but Councilors ultimately decided against doing so.
A motion sending the proposed amendment as written to voters was eventually approved by a 6-1 vote, with Councilors Misha Pride, Linda Cohen, Steven Riley, Elyse Tipton, Richard Matthews, and Natalie West voting in support and Councilor Rachael Coleman voting in opposition.
Click Here to Watch the Full Public Hearing (From 01:55:47 to 02:07:00)
Section 204 of the City Charter currently reads:
City property care and management: The city council shall have legal custody of all the city public buildings and land, but the care, superintendence and management thereof shall be under the administrative direction of the manager, except for school property as provided in section 905.
Under the proposed amendment, a second subsection would be added specifically designating the parcels of land constituting Mill Creek Park, Bug Light Park, and Hinckley Park as ones that cannot be “sold, leased, traded, or given away in whole or in part” without citizen approval via a referendum vote.
If approved, the amendment will go into effect on November 5, 2024.
Click Here to Read the Full Text of the Proposed Amendment
The three school bonds on the ballot ask voters to approve several million dollars in funding for a high school athletic complex, maintenance and improvements, and safety improvements.
Question 2 represents the largest of these three bonds, seeking approval for $12.3 million in funding for the “design, construction, and equipping of improvements to the South Portland High School athletic stadium complex.”
Constructed using these funds would be an “8-lane 400 meter track, infilled synthetic turf field and lightening, two multi-purpose infilled synthetic turf fields, an infilled synthetic turf field for the marching band, seven tennis courts, a new track event and practice space, a new concessions building, permanent restroom facilities, [and] storage.”
Question 3 asks voters to approve a $1 million bond to fund a range of maintenance and improvements projects at several of the City’s public schools.
Among the improvements that would be funded by this bond are upgrades and maintenance to the roofs at Kaler Skillin, and Small Schools, the windows at Kaler School, and the “auditorium pit and Beal gym entrance” at South Portland High School.
The fourth and final question asks voters to approve a $3 million bond to fund the “design, construction, and equipping of improvements” to public school buildings in South Portland, including vestibules, cameras, and lighting.
Click Here to Read South Portland’s Full Municipal Sample Ballot
In addition to these local questions, South Portland voters will also be tasked with weighing in on five statewide ballot questions, including one citizens’ initiative, three bonds, and one proposal from the State Legislature.
A detailed overview of these five questions by the Maine Wire is available here: These Five Questions Will Be On the Ballot in Maine This November.
Additional information from the Maine Wire about what to expect on this year’s ballot is available here: Everything You Need to Know About Casting Your Ballot in the Upcoming Election.
School maintenance should be part of the regular budget but the school budget is being used to “educate” illegals and for social engineering.
S.P. schools used to be in the top few in the state. They’re now second to the bottom.
It’s also darn tone deaf to want $13m for fancy new athletic fields after our taxes were raised so much.
Citizens of South Portland had enough yet? Cant pay your taxes? Take out a reverse mortgage!!!! Keep voting these Communists in and enjoy the misery.
The people of Maine use to have common sense and think about issues, now they just absorb the BS provided by the local media and Communists!!!! Well done Maine, well done!!!!