APPROVED CHAPTER
APRIL 22, 2025 2
BY GOVERNOR P & S LAW
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
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H.P. 193 - L.D. 293
An Act to Increase the Debt Limit of the Boothbay Region Water District
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. P&SL 2001, c. 15, §6 is amended to read:
Sec. 6. Borrowing. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section
6412, subsections 1 and 2 and section 6413, the district, in order to accomplish the purpose
of this Act, by vote of its board of trustees and without district vote, is authorized to borrow
money, including temporary borrowing, for the purposes of acquisition and renovation of
the Boothbay Harbor Water System and the East Boothbay Water District system, of
renewing and refunding the indebtedness of water-related notes or bonds of the Town of
Boothbay Harbor and the East Boothbay Water District, of paying necessary expenses and
liabilities incurred under this Act, and of acquiring properties; paying damages; laying
pipes, mains, sewers, drains and conduits; purchasing, constructing, maintaining and
operating a water system; and making renewals, additions, extensions and improvements
to that system, and is authorized to issue, from time to time, bonds, notes or other evidences
of indebtedness of the district in such amount or amounts, bearing interest at such rate or
rates and having such terms and provisions as the trustees determine. In the case of a vote
by the trustees after acquisition and renovation of the Boothbay Harbor Water System and
the East Boothbay Water District system to authorize bonds or notes to pay for the
acquisition of property, the cost of a water system or part of a water system, renewals or
additions or for other improvements in the nature of capital costs, the estimated cost of
which singly or in the aggregate included in any one financing is $500,000 or more, but
not for renewing or refunding existing indebtedness or to pay for maintenance, repairs or
current expenses, notice of the proposed debt and of the general purpose or purposes for
which it was authorized must be given by the district by publication at least once in a
newspaper having a general circulation in the towns of Boothbay Harbor and Boothbay.
The total indebtedness outstanding of the district may not exceed the sum of $12,000,000
$19,000,000 at any one time or such other amount as may be established pursuant to this
section.
Notwithstanding the limitation on total indebtedness established in this section, the
trustees of the district may propose a different debt limit and submit that debt limit for
districtwide approval in a referendum held in accordance with this section. The referendum
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must be called, advertised and conducted according to the law relating to municipal
elections, except that the registrar of voters is not required to prepare nor the clerk to post
a new list of voters. For the purpose of registering voters, the registrar of voters must be in
session on the regular workday preceding the election. The question presented must
conform to the following form:
"Do you favor changing the debt limit of the Boothbay Region Water District from
(insert current debt limit) to (insert proposed debt limit)?"
The voters shall indicate by a cross or check mark placed against the word "Yes" or
"No" their opinion on the question.
The results must be declared by the trustees and entered upon the district's records. Due
certificate of the results must be filed by the clerk with the Secretary of State.
A debt limit proposal becomes effective upon its acceptance by a majority of the legal
voters within the district voting at the referendum. Failure of approval by the majority of
voters voting at the referendum does not prevent subsequent referenda from being held for
the same purpose. The costs of referenda are borne by the district.
The total indebtedness of the district at any one time outstanding may not exceed the
sum approved by referendum.
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