An Act to Eliminate the Debt Limit of the Boothbay Region Water
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0293
Sponsors: STOVER, RENY

Legislative Document
No. 293
H.P. 193
House 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.
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 
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 
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.  
SUMMARY
This bill removes the debt limit for the Boothbay Region Water District.