WVTK Local & State News February 25, 2011 (Town Meeting Preview)

Town Meeting 2011 is coming up next week and towns in and around Addison County will decide on a variety of issues:

Here in Middlebury residents will decide a contested race for the select-board; vote on a town budget requiring a modest tax increase for the first time in three years; and cast ballots on a proposed $3 million bond to clear up a backlog of road improvement projects. Middlebury town meeting will be held at 7 PM on Monday in the municipal gym. Australian ballot voting will take place the following day, also at the gym, from 7 AM to 7 PM.

Addison residents will decide three races for town office and weigh in on higher town spending, and vote on a reduced Addison Central School budget. Balloting will take place on Tuesday from 7 AM – 7 PM at the town clerk’s office.

Brandon will weigh in on a municipal spending plan for fiscal year 2011-12, with sizable portion to be raised by property taxes. The proposed budget represents a 5.8 percent increase over the current year’s spending plan. Brandon town meting will be held on Monday at 7 PM at the Neshobe School. Voting on budgets and to elect town officers will take place by Australian ballot at the school on Tuesday from 7 AM – 7 PM.

Bridport residents will decide contested races for the select-board, town clerk and first constable, and field a town/highway budget that proposes spending that is more than $200,000 greater than this year’s budget. Town meeting will be held at 10 AM on Tuesday in the Bridport Community Hall. Australian ballot voting will take place on the same day at the same location from 10 AM – 7 PM.

Voters at Cornwall’s town meeting will decide a hotly contested race for planning commission and determine whether to raze the former Lavalley Store building. Town meeting will be held at the Bingham Memorial School on Monday at 6:30 PM. Australian ballot voting will take place the following day from 7 AM – 7PM at the Cornwall Town Hall.
Ferrisburgh residents will decide no contested races for office, but will make significant financial decisions when they gather for town meeting at Ferrisburgh Central School at 10 AM on Tuesday.

Next Monday and Tuesday, Goshen voters will decide on a decrease in town spending for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. The select-board is proposing a combined town and road spending plan, which represents a 1.26 percent decrease from last year’s budget. The town meeting and school district meeting will take place at the Goshen Town Hall at 7:30 PM on Monday. Australian ballot voting will run from 7 AM – 7 PM on Tuesday.

Residents of Granville will be asked to support a small increase in town spending and a small increase in school spending at the annual town meeting, which will convene at town hall on Tuesday at 6:30 PM.

Next Tuesday, Hancock voters will assemble to vote on proposed school and town budgets that represent savings compared with last year’s spending plans. The town and school meetings will take place on Tuesday, March 1st beginning at 10 AM at the Hancock Town Hall.

On Monday voters in Leicester at their town meeting will be asked to fill several key town offices and vote on a proposed town budget that is slightly higher than this year’s and proposed school budget that is slightly lower. Residents will gather at the Leicester Meeting House on Monday at 7 PM for the annual town meeting and school district meeting. Australian ballot voting will take place at the town clerk’s office on Tuesday from 10 AM – 7 PM.

On Monday residents in Lincoln will be discussing a mixture of routine measures, board elections, a $2 million school bond and several articles are on the agenda. Town meeting gets under way in Burnham Hall at 6 PM. Australian ballot voting takes place on Tuesday from 7AM – 7 PM.

Residents of Monkton have no contested town elections or routine articles to approve. They have a town budget that reflects inflationary spending increases only. Residents will meet at the Monkton Central School on Tuesday at 10 AM to discuss town business.

Residents in New Haven gather for their annual town meeting on Monday afternoon. But in Australian balloting the next day they’ll have several important money questions and one contested race for the town’s representative to the Mount Abraham Union High School board. They will also decide whether to adopt an updated town plan. Residents will convene at the town hall on Monday at 4 PM for town meeting and Australian ballot voting will take place on Tuesday from 7 AM to 7 PM.

Voters in the town of Orwell will be voting on a proposed increase in town spending this year, with much of the increase coming from legal fees related to town zoning. Voters will consider combined town and road spending for the upcoming fiscal year that will bean 11.3 percent increase over last year’s budget. This year, the school meeting will take place on Monday at 7 PM with the town meeting the following morning at 10 AM. Australian ballot will begin on Tuesday at 10AM and end at 7 PM.

Panton residents will meet March 1st and will fill one vacancy on the select-board and decide on a proposed town-spending plan that is $14,000 lower than a year ago.

Ripton residents will be given the choice at their town meeting of increasing the size of their select-board from the current three to five members. Town meeting will be held at 7:30 PM on Monday in the Ripton Community House. Australian ballot voting will take place the following day, from 7 AM to 7 PM at the Ripton town office.

Salisbury’s town meeting will feature a two-person race for a two-year term on the select-board. Ben Fuller and Stephen Parkes are vying for the position, being vacated by incumbent Jim Eagan. Town meeting will be held at on Monday at 7 PM at the Salisbury Community School. Australian ballot voting will take place the next day, from 8 AM to 7 PM at the town offices.

Town meeting in Shoreham will feature a four-way race for two one-year terms on the select-board. Town meeting will be held at the Shoreham Elementary auditorium on Monday at 6 PM. Australian balloting will be held the next day, from 10 AM until 7 PM, at the local firehouse.

Residents in Starksboro will gather tomorrow (Saturday February 26th) at 9 AM at the Robinson Elementary School for their annual town meeting. Featuring routine items and one contested race in the three-year term for the Mount Abraham Union High School board.

Residents of Vergennes will weigh in by Australian ballot on Tuesday on lower Vergennes Union high and elementary school spending and on the proposal to govern the four Addison Northwest Supervisory Union schools under one board. Tuesday’s balloting will run from 9 AM until 7 PM at the city fire station.

Waltham residents will look at essentially level town spending and fill three board positions when they gather for town meeting. That meeting begins on Monday at 6 PM at Waltham’s town hall. Australian balloting will take place on Tuesday from 10 AM to 7 PM, also at town hall.

Weybridge voters can expect a fairly uneventful meeting this year, with no contested elections and budget requests that are close to the levels approved last year. Town meeting will be held at Weybridge Elementary School at 7:30 PM on Monday. Australian ballot voting will take place the next day from 8 AM to 7 PM at the town clerk’s Office.

Voters in the town of Whiting will gather this Tuesday, March 1, to discuss proposed town and school budgets, and to make a number of decisions on issues that have arisen over the past year. Voters will assemble at the Whiting Town Hall at 7:15 PM on Tuesday for the school meeting, followed immediately by the town meeting.