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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 293H.P. 193House of Representatives, February 3, 2025
An Act to Eliminate the Debt Limit of the Boothbay Region Water
District
Received by the Clerk of the House on January 30, 2025. Referred to the Committee on
Energy, Utilities and Technology pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to
Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative STOVER of Boothbay.
Cosponsored by Senator RENY of Lincoln. Page 1 - 132LR0645(01)
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2 is amended to read:
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4 6412, subsections 1 and 2 and section 6413, the district, in order to accomplish the purpose
5 of this Act, by vote of its board of trustees and without district vote, is authorized to borrow
6 money, including temporary borrowing, for the purposes of acquisition and renovation of
7 the Boothbay Harbor Water System and the East Boothbay Water District system, of
8 renewing and refunding the indebtedness of water-related notes or bonds of the Town of
9 Boothbay Harbor and the East Boothbay Water District, of paying necessary expenses and
10 liabilities incurred under this Act, and of acquiring properties; paying damages; laying
11 pipes, mains, sewers, drains and conduits; purchasing, constructing, maintaining and
12 operating a water system; and making renewals, additions, extensions and improvements
13 to that system, and is authorized to issue, from time to time, bonds, notes or other evidences
14 of indebtedness of the district in such amount or amounts, bearing interest at such rate or
15 rates and having such terms and provisions as the trustees determine. In the case of a vote
16 by the trustees after acquisition and renovation of the Boothbay Harbor Water System and
17 the East Boothbay Water District system to authorize bonds or notes to pay for the
18 acquisition of property, the cost of a water system or part of a water system, renewals or
19 additions or for other improvements in the nature of capital costs, the estimated cost of
20 which singly or in the aggregate included in any one financing is $500,000 or more, but
21 not for renewing or refunding existing indebtedness or to pay for maintenance, repairs or
22 current expenses, notice of the proposed debt and of the general purpose or purposes for
23 which it was authorized must be given by the district by publication at least once in a
24 newspaper having a general circulation in the towns of Boothbay Harbor and Boothbay.
25 The total indebtedness outstanding of the district may not exceed the sum of $12,000,000
26 at any one time or such other amount as may be established pursuant to this section.
27 Notwithstanding the limitation on total indebtedness established in this section, the
28 trustees of the district may propose a different debt limit and submit that debt limit for
29 districtwide approval in a referendum held in accordance with this section. The referendum
30 must be called, advertised and conducted according to the law relating to municipal
31 elections, except that the registrar of voters is not required to prepare nor the clerk to post
32 a new list of voters. For the purpose of registering voters, the registrar of voters must be in
33 session on the regular workday preceding the election. The question presented must
34 conform to the following form:
35 "Do you favor changing the debt limit of the Boothbay Region Water District from
36 (insert current debt limit) to (insert proposed debt limit)?"
37 The voters shall indicate by a cross or check mark placed against the word "Yes" or
38 "No" their opinion on the question.
39 The results must be declared by the trustees and entered upon the district's records. Due
40 certificate of the results must be filed by the clerk with the Secretary of State.
41 A debt limit proposal becomes effective upon its acceptance by a majority of the legal
42 voters within the district voting at the referendum. Failure of approval by the majority of
43 voters voting at the referendum does not prevent subsequent referenda from being held for
44 the same purpose. The costs of referenda are borne by the district. Page 2 - 132LR0645(01)
1 The total indebtedness of the district at any one time outstanding may not exceed the
2 sum approved by referendum.
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4 This bill removes the debt limit for the Boothbay Region Water District.
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