www.eagletimes.com
Springfield sets $11 million town budget for vote
Town meeting voters in March will decide issues including a special paving appropriation, funding requests from more than a dozen social service agencies and the nuts and bolts of a municipal budget.
www.rutlandherald.com
2016-01-21 / Front Page
Springfield selectboard OKs $11M budget proposal
By Allan Stein
allans@eagletimes.com
SPRINGFIELD — Longtime resident Woody Bickford said Springfield hasn't seen a balanced budget in 22 years, and that's been a problem for him and other people living on a fixed income.
"I'd like to see [a balanced budget] someday. I'd celebrate it," Andrews said during the public comment portion of Wednesday's public hearing with the selectboard on the town's proposed budget for the 2017 fiscal year.
After a lengthy discussion with residents and taxpayers, the board adopted a level-service operating budget proposal of $11,019,221, which has the support of the town budget advisory committee.
Voters will be asked to approve or reject the budget proposal at the annual town meeting in March.
The budget proposal includes an amount that is 2.57 percent higher than the current budget and is comprised of $9,006,371 to be raised in taxes.
Other revenue sources for the 2017 budget total $2,012,850. The fiscal year begins July 1.
Springfield resident Richard Andrews praised the selectboard for its due diligence in preparing the 2017 fiscal budget.
"You did a responsible job considering the difficult choices. I don't have any critical comment to make," said Andrews.
Bickford, however, said a balanced budget proposal should be a top priority given the "condition of taxpayers" in a town saddled with one of the highest tax rates in Vermont.
"I think some of the taxpayers are being squeezed by the increase in taxes everywhere. The ability to pay is something that needs to be considered," said Bickford.
Bickford then asked the board if the Grand List of all taxable property in Springfield had grown by a corresponding 2.57 percent.
"Apparently not," he said.
Resident William Sheldon said that "something has to be done" to make up for the smaller grand list resulting in a greater tax burden on property owners.
Selectboard member George T. McNaughton said the grand list is in the midst of a reappraisal and that lower valuations are to be expected in the current market.
He said the town will need to "take some very strong effort" to reverse what he called a "downward spiral" in property values.
"The real problem is we have declining land values in town. People are struggling to maintain their lives [but] we're Vermont Yankees. We are going to roll up our sleeves and rebuild the community. The buck does stop here to a certain extent," said McNaughton.
Even so, he said, "we don't help the situation by killing budgets."
Selectboard member Walter Martone said the town "needs to do more" to make the town more attractive to businesses and prospective new property owners to grow the local tax base.
"I think we need to think about investing in our town. We need to deal with the window dressing," he said.
Does this budget include any street paving projects? Some of the streets in town are in such derelict condition that I often wonder if I'm driving in a Vermont town or through the potholes of New York City! it's absolutely embarrassing how negligent the town has been with maintaining certain areas.
ReplyDeleteYou mean the potholes of New Jersey. One of the things to keep in mind when Chris Christie passes though on his little campaign trail.
DeleteI wonder, did you pay any attention at all to the budget process? How could you not know they put $300,000.00 in the budget, and another $400,000.00 in a special article for paving?
DeleteRebuild the community? Anyone who has spent any time in that community has watched it spiral downhill. Over the past 10 years, it has been dramatic. Over the past 5 years, it has been sickening. Many good families have watched and headed out...only to be backfilled with drugging/thieving/welfaring filth. Let's deal with some root cause issues before talking about rebuilding.
ReplyDeleteWell said 3:05.
Deleteis there funding for a second LT for the PD,a position that is not needed,put the money in to the roads,the dirt roads are in better shape then the paved ones.
ReplyDeleteThe selectboard should post on sites like this what the dollar amounts for every department is and what that money is for,raises.new hires,maintenance.etc.
let the people know where THEIR money is going and for what
the town should list the break down of the budget of every dept and list what they are asking for and why,let the taxpayers know what they are getting,instead of one lump sum of money
ReplyDeleteMaybe 12:14, 7:57 and 8:00 should have gone to the meetings where each and every expenditure and line item was discussed. Or perhaps, get off there computer and couch and make a trip to the Town office to get a copy of the proposed budget. All their questions would have been answered, instead of taking up valuable space on the blog.
ReplyDeleteMight I point out,space on this blog is FREE.....
DeleteWell EXCUSE MEEEE, 2:45 - I didn't know you were the gatekeeper of all content and replies of this blog.
DeleteUnfortunately most of small town Vermont has lost their way. Collecting on the system is easier than working. Nobody has any work ethics. We also need to get ahead of the addiction problem that nobody cares about. I she'd a tear for a child growing up here.
ReplyDelete