2012 Town Meeting

A well-attended Springfield town meeting Monday produced few critical questions about the proposed $10 million town budget and $27 million school budget. About 200 people — much more than in recent years — listened to town officials and occasionally quizzed them.

The meeting will be held at the Springfield High School Cafeteria starting at 7:30 p.m. Voting will be at Riverside Middle School the following day. Polls will open on Tuesday at 8 a.m. and will remain open until 7 p.m.

 Town budget

 $10,055,612, down $419,203 or 4 percent from last year’s budget of $10,474,815.

 Capital spending was down 30 percent. The projected tax rate will go up 2.5 percent due to a decrease in revenue of $616,000.

 Voters face numerous special articles including $20,000 to support Springfield On The Move, and 13 social agencies serving Springfield. All will be voted on by Australian balloting

School budget

 $27,703,209, up $888,950 from last year’s budget of $26,814,259, a 3.3 percent increase. The school’s operating budget is up 5 percent.

 Significant increases include special education, which is up 8.6 percent, from $4.7 million to $5.1 million. Capital budget is down 44 percent, to $395,000.

 “Other” items in the budget are up 85 percent, from $832,850 to $1,539,000.

Contested races

 Five people are running for two three-year seats open on the Springfield Select Board: Incumbent Terri Benton will face Peter Andrews, Peter MacGillivray, Larry Kraft and David Yesman.

Update: Meeting adjourned, 9:38 p.m.

Hardcopies of the town report went out last week and Town Comptroller Jeff Mobus urges all citizens to review it. A PDF copy of the report and the warrant is available for downloading on the Town website at http://springfieldvt.govoffice2.com/.

Or view its content online at http://www.scribd.com/doc/82586951/
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120306/NEWS02/703069884

Published March 6, 2012 in the Rutland Herald
Few questions from Springfield voters on budgets

By SUSAN SMALLHEER
Staff Writer

Vyto Starinskas / Staff Photo Springfield Boy Scout Troop 252 led the town meeting in the Pledge of Allegiance on Monday night at the high school. Pictured are Andrew Czwakiel, Tre Ayer, Chris Whaley and Tom Kendall, left to right.
SPRINGFIELD — A well-attended Springfield town meeting Monday produced few critical questions about the proposed town and school budgets.

About 200 people — much more than in recent years — listened to town officials and occasionally quizzed them about the $10 million town budget and the $27 million school budget, both of which will require modest increases in taxes.

Both budgets, officers and special articles will be decided during all-day voting today.

Watching the voters were Springfield Boy Scout Troop 252 of the Green Mountain Council, who had led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Voters were also serenaded by two school groups, who sang the state song and “America the Beautiful.”

The town budget only attracted a series of questions from Woody Bickford, who wanted to know how the Springfield Budget Advisory Committee felt about the town budget.

Committee Chairman David Yesman, who is running for one of two seats open on the Springfield Select Board, said the vote was close, 6-5 in favor of the budget.

Bickford and several other people noted that there was a different attitude in school and town budget sessions, which he attributed to the involvement of a active budget group.

“I’m pleased our Budget Advisory Committee gave town leaders a different perspective,” said Bickford.

“This public spirit is good for the town,” he added, while warning that in the past the town had had “champagne tastes and a beer budget.”

On the school side, Jane Smith said she had gotten involved in the school’s budget committee. Smith told the group that she and her family had moved to Springfield from Florida a few years ago, and property taxes were a “fraction” of what they were in Vermont.

Nonetheless, Smith said, she supported the town budget.

“Springfield is a great town. We do struggle,” she said.

One resident, Bill Sheldon, questioned the high cost of school administration, and noted that the school budget included cutting 10 school classroom aides, while there were no cuts in administration.

Sheldon, who said he had worked previously as a school administrator himself, asked whether the School Board and budget committee had considered reducing the central office.

School business manager Steve Hier said the $1 million central office budget funded 10 positions, as well as district-wide expenses such as liability insurance and legal fees.

Sheldon said the school administrative costs amounted to $750 per pupil, which he said was high.

School Board Chairman Scott Adnams said the board had cut the proposed budget, adopting the recommendations of the budget committee.

But he warned that while $1.3 million had been requested for capital projects, the School Board had only included $500,000.

Despite Springfield’s school budget of $27 million, Hier said, only $9 million of that is raised locally, with the balance coming from the state.

He said the School Board had reduced staffing, including 13 support staff and three teaching positions. The budget includes a 2 percent wage increase, he said and a 3.5 percent increase in health insurance, as well as substantial increases in the costs of heating oil.

School taxes are expected to rise 2 cents, or 1.5 percent for residential property owners, while non-residential property owners are expected to see a decrease of 4 cents of 2.8 percent, Hier said.

Town Manager Robert Forguites said the proposed town budget would see a 3 cent increase in the tax rate.

One member of the Select Board, John Swanson, and one member of the School Board, Sam Coleman, are retiring from their boards after six years of service and were given a round of applause in thanks.

Swanson was home sick with the flu, said Forguites.

Polls at Riverside Middle School open Tuesday at 8 a.m., and close at 7 p.m.