Springfield passes both town and school budgets

Voters approved both the $10.4 million town and $26.1 million school budgets Tuesday, but nixed a proposed tax break for net-metering power projects.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20110302/NEWS02/703029867

Published March 2, 2011 in the Rutland Herald

Springfield passes both town and school budgets

By Susan Smallheer
Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD — Voters approved both the $10.4 million town and $26.1 million school budgets Tuesday, but nixed a proposed tax break for net-metering power projects.

The school budget, a perennial target in Springfield, passed by only 10 votes, 799 to 789.

The town budget passed by a 370-vote margin, 977-607.

Only unofficial results were available Tuesday evening, with election workers reviewing ballots for possible misread ballots.

“It’s 10 votes — we’ll take it,” said School Board member Jeannice Garfield.

Board Chairman Scott Adnams said it was “premature” to claim the budget was safely passed. “We’re hopeful it passes,” said Adnams, noting the board had already cut $1.2 million from the proposed budget before presenting to the voters.

Garfield said that over the past several years the School Board had cut between $2 million and $3 million from the budget. “I know people are hurting,” she said. “But it’s an adult-made problem and our kids shouldn’t suffer.”

Voters chose a newcomer, Joseph “Bill” Harbeson to the Springfield School Board. Harbeson was the top vote-getter in a four-way race for the seat held by Marilyn Thompson, who came in last. Harbeson, 34, the father of four children, had 498 votes, former board Chairman Jim Ball had 432 votes, Tammy Farmer had 308 votes and Thompson had 205 votes.

Harbeson, who said he supported the budget, said he was interested in restoring “lost trust” between the School Board and community over the consolidation of the town’s elementary schools.

Harbeson, who grew up in neighboring Weathersfield and graduated from Springfield High School in 1994, said he had three children in the schools, and another that would enter school in two years.

“I have a long-term vested interest,” he said. He is a lineman for the Ludlow Electric Co.

A proposal that would have benefitted some landowners, as well as the IVEK Corp., a North Springfield company which recently installed one of the state’s largest solar energy installations, was narrowly defeated by a 10-vote margin, 737-727.

Town Manager Robert Forguites said that the tax break for net-metering projects would have exempted such power projects from personal property tax. They are already exempt from school taxes, he said.

“I had anticipated it would be close,” said Forguites.

Both Forguites and Select Board Chairman Kristi Morris said they were grateful to the community for the support of the town budget and the town’s recognition that additional funds were needed to keep up the town’s roads and bridges.

“Obviously, we’re very pleased that the voters recognized the need,” said Morris, who along with Select Board member Michael Knoras were re-elected to three-year terms without any opposition.

The Select Board’s goal was to keep the operating budget level-funded, he said, The increase was in the capital budget, with $200,000 of the $900,000 increase in the paving budget alone.

Voters approved a request for $7,500 toward the town’s 250th anniversary celebration this summer, 861 to 711,

Voters approved all other requests for funding from various social service agencies with the exception of a $4,000 request from the Rockingham Area Community Land Trust.