http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120126/NEWS02/701269923
Published January 26, 2012 in the Rutland Herald
Springfield board approves $10 million town budget
By SUSAN SMALLHEER
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Select Board cut money for highway equipment and paving Tuesday, trimming the proposed town budget by $400,000 to just more than $10 million.
The proposed budget, which will be voted on at town meeting in March, would raise taxes by 3 cents, or 2.5 percent.
The board nixed a proposal to put either a $300,000 or $500,000 article on the town meeting warning that would go to paving, and instead slashed the amount in the budget earmarked for paving to just over $200,000.
Town Manager Robert Forguites had originally included $600,000 in the budget for paving. In all, the Select Board has trimmed more than $1 million from the originally proposed budget of $11,096,947.
The vote on the $10,055,612 budget was 4-1, with Select Board member Michael Knoras saying he couldn’t support the budget, which he said was bound to rise with special articles on the town warning.
Later, after the budget was finalized after a couple of hours of discussion, the board nixed a proposal to add a drug detective to the Springfield Police Department, which would have been voted on as a special article. The estimated cost for the drug detective would have been about $80,000 to cover salary, benefits and equipment.
The board voted 3-2 against putting the drug officer proposal on the warning, saying that it was a last-minute proposal and that they wanted the existing department to handle drug crimes.
Several people spoke in favor of the drug detective, who would have worked with the Southern Vermont Drug Task Force and would have received some funding help from the state, according to Springfield Police Chief Douglas Johnston.
Voting against the drug detective were Chairman Kristi Morris, and board members Terri Benton and Knoras. Voting for the drug detective article were Select Board members Stephanie Gibson and John Swanson.
“I’m 100 percent in favor of any drug enforcement,” said Morris, “but the problem is it’s another contributor to the tax rate.” Morris said he was in favor of “doing it from within the department and not adding a person.”
Swanson, a teacher at Riverside Middle School, said that the drug problem in Springfield is only getting worse, and Springfield is in danger of gaining a reputation as a “drug community.”
Gibson said that recent community forums had brought out dozens of people concerned about the increasing drug problem in Springfield and its “influence in the schools.”
Morris said that Springfield’s “drugs problems are not going to go away with one person.”
“I think we need to look at a bigger plan,” he said.
David Yesman, chairman of the Springfield Budget Advisory Committee, said that the committee had asked the town for a commitment of no new employees and no pay increases as a way of holding the line on taxes.
Yesman said that Springfield usually approves special articles during Australian balloting and the detective, as well as other special articles, will only add to the tax rate.
Springfield has one of the highest tax rates in the state, several budget committee members have said in the past.
Forguites noted that townspeople have until Thursday to submit a petition to get something on the warning. Any petition would require 300 signatures, he said.
Springfield board approves $10 million town budget
By SUSAN SMALLHEER
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Select Board cut money for highway equipment and paving Tuesday, trimming the proposed town budget by $400,000 to just more than $10 million.
The proposed budget, which will be voted on at town meeting in March, would raise taxes by 3 cents, or 2.5 percent.
The board nixed a proposal to put either a $300,000 or $500,000 article on the town meeting warning that would go to paving, and instead slashed the amount in the budget earmarked for paving to just over $200,000.
Town Manager Robert Forguites had originally included $600,000 in the budget for paving. In all, the Select Board has trimmed more than $1 million from the originally proposed budget of $11,096,947.
The vote on the $10,055,612 budget was 4-1, with Select Board member Michael Knoras saying he couldn’t support the budget, which he said was bound to rise with special articles on the town warning.
Later, after the budget was finalized after a couple of hours of discussion, the board nixed a proposal to add a drug detective to the Springfield Police Department, which would have been voted on as a special article. The estimated cost for the drug detective would have been about $80,000 to cover salary, benefits and equipment.
The board voted 3-2 against putting the drug officer proposal on the warning, saying that it was a last-minute proposal and that they wanted the existing department to handle drug crimes.
Several people spoke in favor of the drug detective, who would have worked with the Southern Vermont Drug Task Force and would have received some funding help from the state, according to Springfield Police Chief Douglas Johnston.
Voting against the drug detective were Chairman Kristi Morris, and board members Terri Benton and Knoras. Voting for the drug detective article were Select Board members Stephanie Gibson and John Swanson.
“I’m 100 percent in favor of any drug enforcement,” said Morris, “but the problem is it’s another contributor to the tax rate.” Morris said he was in favor of “doing it from within the department and not adding a person.”
Swanson, a teacher at Riverside Middle School, said that the drug problem in Springfield is only getting worse, and Springfield is in danger of gaining a reputation as a “drug community.”
Gibson said that recent community forums had brought out dozens of people concerned about the increasing drug problem in Springfield and its “influence in the schools.”
Morris said that Springfield’s “drugs problems are not going to go away with one person.”
“I think we need to look at a bigger plan,” he said.
David Yesman, chairman of the Springfield Budget Advisory Committee, said that the committee had asked the town for a commitment of no new employees and no pay increases as a way of holding the line on taxes.
Yesman said that Springfield usually approves special articles during Australian balloting and the detective, as well as other special articles, will only add to the tax rate.
Springfield has one of the highest tax rates in the state, several budget committee members have said in the past.
Forguites noted that townspeople have until Thursday to submit a petition to get something on the warning. Any petition would require 300 signatures, he said.
druggs drugs drugs drugs drugs...
ReplyDeleteSpringfield doesn't have a drug problem.
Idiots.
Springfield doesn't even have a night life or sub-culture.
Thew only drug problem we have here in Springfield is there aren't any.
Seriously. The whole article is about drugs and not what they are going to spend the $10,000,000.00 on.
Take your eye off the ball and leave your heads spinning.
SPRINGFIELD You got punked.
TEN MILLION DOLLARS......................
"another" $10,000,000.00
ReplyDeletesusan smallheer is not a good reporter.
ReplyDeleteShe is paid by the Rutland Herald, which works hand in hand with those destroying Springield.
There's merit to the above posts. For years Springfield has been governed by distraction. Toss a red herring out on the side of the trail and get the hunters off the scent of the actual objective. And the media are willing accomplices to that tactic, as the article on the recent board meeting aptly demonstrates. Nothing gets done in Springfield - no progress is made toward controlling these perpetual tax increases - because in the end our so-called leaders themselves wade into these distractions at the expense of better oversight over every line item in the budget. It is a pathetic situation and this year's budget process charade is just another worthy testament to that. Welcome, taxpayers, to Springfield's other prison - the financial one from which you can never escape!
ReplyDeletePlease someone tell me what has gone done in cost. I would like to know
ReplyDeleteYeah, The Rutland Herald is not good to Springfield.
ReplyDeleteWe know who they write good things about and who they write bad things about.
There is more than just a pattern or trend in The Rutland Herald's choices.
If they said something good about you in the Herald, you are probably one of the bad guys (or not important).
If they SCREWED you in The Rutland Herald, you are probably one of THE GOOD GUYS.
Are you saying Rutland wants Springfield to be the toilet bowl to the State?
Deletehmmmmm. how convienent for them.
For those that haven't seen the proposed Town Budget you may want to take a look. The proposed budget is $10,055, 612.00, $419,203.00 dollars less than last years budget. The increase is not due to more spending, but more dollars needed to be raised by the taxpayers, the so-called free money received from state and federal government programs and grants is drying up, due to their increased and seemingly unstoppable failure to cut costs and spending themselves. Social Security recipients will be receiving a cost of living adjustment of 3.6%, the proposed Town budget increase is at 2.75%. Again, this is not due to increased spending. I am hoping an exit poll will be present at the polls in March, as the next cuts will be in services and I would like to know what services the people of Springfield would like to do without.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing the Tues. night taping of the SelectBoard mtg. Possibly tomorrow?
DeleteDoes anyone else feel we seem to be playing money defense? Need more $ coming in. I lived /schooled in Boston when they closed downtown to traffic (Filene's corner) and transformed dumpy warehouses into Fanueil Hall. People said it would 'ruin' Boston, but nay nay. It was wonderful.
San Antonio, Texas was a real dump, then an urban planner created the Riverwalk. Transformed the city.
There are some talented people in S'field. We have to develop a plan. Freeport, ME = L.L. Bean
Woodstock, VT =cute + money, Hanover, NH = Dartmouth
What's with the union members paying only 3% of medical? Is that correct? If so, that's unreal! Medicare pays 80% and then you pay for supplement.
you can start by removing a couple of chairs so susan smallheer has to stand and her friends at the Rutland Herald shouldn't get any free doughnuts unless they wake up.
Delete"...the so-called free money received from state and federal government programs and grants is drying up..." And Springfield's town leaders were stupid enough to feed at such a slaughterhouse trough to begin with, getting fattened up by the state and feds with the full realization that taking such temporary monies to subsidize what the town couldn’t afford on its own would ultimately set the town up to inherit permanent funding liabilities that would then be foisted off onto the backs of local taxpayers. The behaviors of the town fathers in seeking their next state or federal funding “fixes” to ease their short term pain are no different than that of the drug abusers that Springfield has become home to. Ironic, isn’t it? And yet you have the usual apologists like the one above who want to blame the mess on state and federal funding issues while blatantly ignoring the culpability of the town leaders who took Springfield down this rat hole in the first place and are now incapable or unwilling to make the tough calls (that they are allegedly paid to make, by the way) to pare back their budget and let taxpayers keep a little more of the money they earn.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way, what happened to the $9.4M town budget that was proposed in December 2011? I refer you to: http://www.vermonttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/RH/20111214/NEWS02/712149929
Gee, the budget miraculously got bigger after the “review” process. What a surprise! And the beat (or financial beating of taxpayers) goes on...
Pare the tax rate down..stop passing all the special appropriations that add an additional 3 cents to the tax rate. Still have to laugh. Town budget is down,set at just over 1o million. Town employees have not had any wage adjustments in 3 years. School budget is at 27 million, Perotti just got a $2800.00 a year raise, if they don't meet the threshold set by the state, we may be double taxed..but its the town thats running us empty. If a town is missing it's village idiot, I believe we found him.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, one of the bloggers spouting was a Town leader for 6 years, and was happy to take the state funding. Maybe he's anonymous, because he is ashamed of what he voted for. Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing.
ReplyDeleteif you wanna complain about the budget when it goes to the town for vote maybe the people of spfld should show up an say no an vote the budget down!
ReplyDeleteI will say that same thing as I have before. If we don't like it then put a petition together and get 300 signatures. What should be added is that town employees health benefits contributions increase to 6 percent or higher and that town employees take 6-10 mandatory unpaid furlough days a year each. That saves everyones job at minimal cost. That is where the budget process is lacking. Again, we have to get on the board, go to the meetings and be a part of the process if we want change.
ReplyDeleteI dont support the current proposed budget but I will say it was alot less than what I expected. And KUDOS to the board member who voted against it. He sounds like the smartest of the group.
Umm. First off. Insurance is negotiable. When contracts are up I'm.sure that will be discussed. Some one please tell the guys at the fire department what days are scheduled for next year for no fires and ambulance emergencies as there are only two men on duty and per state law two are required to transport a patient and four are required to initiate an interior fire attack. I for one just want to be sure that nothing happens on their furlough days.
ReplyDeleteUmm....if it a working structure fire that requires more, they have other guys that come in. Have you been to the Fire Department during a first alarm?
ReplyDeleteUmm...have you heard a fire doubles in size every minute of delay. Where do the guys come from? Oh yeah, the off duty full-time employees who are on their furlough days, I doubt it.
ReplyDeleteWell, first the days that are furloughed are not scheduled all on the same day. Second, it is completely viable since that is the option other governments have taken AND done, including school districts to bring their own budgets inline. Be cynical if you like but that is how the rest of the civilized nation are dealing with their own budget issues.
DeleteThe problem in Springfield and with the town mentality is that everyone wants a free ride working for the town or school system. That is THE thing to do-get hired on with the town or school for job security.
But have you BEEN to the Fire Department while they are responding to a fire? Do you know how many firefighters there are in town. In order to be a Springfield Firefighter, you have to live in Springfield. They're not going to be scheduling all of them on furlough days at the same time. Other states/towns have been forcing their employees to take furlough days for years. What makes Springfield exempt?
DeleteA couple corrections. To be a full time firefighter you have to live in Springfield. Which equals 12. It does not state that all Springfield firefighters must work in Springfield. Therefore depending on time of day numbers responding can differ greatly
DeleteWhat part of 2 people responding to a call don't you get. Let me make it simple. 2-1=1. Let's bring the second in for overtime. That makes more sense.
ReplyDeleteFor those who don't know. The fire department consists of 2 administrators which also have the additional duties as town health officers and 10 Firefighter/Emt-intermediates or Firefighter/Paramedics. Which provide 24/7 fire and ambulance protection for Springfield for about $160.00.a year for a $100,000.00 property. Seems to me a pretty good bargain at a little more than .50 cents a day
ReplyDelete12 people in the whole department? And what's their budget?
ReplyDeleteThere's not just 12. There's only 10 FULL TIME, but there's others that aren't full time,they show up when there's a fire, but they are paid. Whoever posted there was only 10 with 2 administrators should go and do a little more research.
DeleteJust were the hell do you think these people come from ? Paid call men or paid volunteers have day jobs most not in town. Does really make sense to furlough any emergency services dept ????? Fire. Police ?? Furlough non essential employees least impact to services . Fire dept brings in almost $380,000.00 in revenue a yr. Why would er what to give up money raised not from taxes. Call town office they will explain I did today.
DeletePerhaps its time some people pay a visit to the Fire Department and become an educated, informed taxpayer/voter
ReplyDelete12 fulltime, allocated 38 slots for paid by the call volunteers of various certification levels and a budget of just over a million to include personnel costs, equipment and building maintenance and monies set aside for purchase of new equipment, so that when equipment is purchased there is no impact in the tax rate. Engines are based on a 20-25 year life expectancy and ambulances 7-10 years. Any citizen of Springfield is more than welcome to visit the FD talk to the guys or the Chief, you may just be surprised.
ReplyDeleteohh..by the way...Town Budget 10,055,612.00. School Budget 27 million plus.
ReplyDeletePaid by the call VOLUNTEERS? It's either they're volunteers OR paid by the call. A volunteer is someone who would not be paid. And the school budget is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteIt's still sad to say that we're all finally feeling the effects of what other states have been feeling for years. I'd still rather take a few furlough days, than lose my job entirely.
Again with 2 on a shift. Leave the required response short one? And hope someone is in town to respond. I wouldn't.want to be the one waiting
ReplyDeleteNow we're splitting hairs on the definition of volunteer? Chester, Charlestown and Ludlow are considered volunteer and they are paid
ReplyDeleteMaybe the school budget needs to be higher.
ReplyDeleteThese discussions would be far better served if the town would simply post its detailed budget proposals on line where we could actually see the fidelity by which they are actually being assessed by the town fathers. I've scanned http://springfieldvt.govoffice2.com/ and have not come across the budget that was proposed and approved.
ReplyDeleteHow about it Select Board, can't you make this happen?
We'd all be interested in the fidelity of the budgets presented by each respective department.
How about get out from behind your computer and go to the town office and get a copy, it is not TOP SECRET!
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you just post your copy for everyone to review since you're so intelligent, you Homer, you!
ReplyDeleteTo many pages. Plus someone will have to explain to you based on your intelligent response.
ReplyDelete