BELLOWS FALLS — Village voters returned for a special meeting on June 25 to decide whether to pass a new budget reworked by the Trustees, having failed to pass the proposed 2013-2014 budget at the annual village meeting in May.
Option 1, as presented by the Trustees, was passed.
The May budget proposal asked the voters to approve $1,945,357, of which $1,864,482 was to be raised by taxes. This was not passed, and a special meeting had to be called to revisit and approve a new budget proposal from the Trustees.
Village president Roger Riccio explained the first option of $1,883,182 with $1,772,307 to be raised by taxes. This budget reduction covers the elimination of the ninth police officer position that villagers requested in May.
He noted this made no reduction in the fire department. He said he believes that with the Green Mountain Railroad propane distribution center being constructed just north of the village, and with the Bellows Falls Fire Department being a first responder to any incident there, “We need to be prepared.”
The second option included a reduction of a full-time firefighter slot as well as a police officer. The third, fourth and fifth options, which were not brought to the table by the trustees as untenable, were an additional full-time firefighter as well as the ninth police officer, so that option five would have offered payroll reduction in one full-time police officer and four full-time firefighters.
Extended discussion followed.
Doug MacPhee noted that the Village has a shrinking Grand List, homeowners are struggling, and many taxpayers say they can no longer afford to live here. He said he himself was not sure how much longer he could afford to live in Bellows Falls, though he'd grown up and lived there all his life.
He noted that the propane distribution center being constructed by the railroad in Rockingham would not add to the Village's Grand List, but the Village would be paying for its first responders to deal with any potential incidents there.
Brad Weeks said he believes the only option is to merge, and asked those present to reject the budget. He later noted that the village cannot expect TransCanada, the owner of the Bellows Falls hydro facility, “to bail out the Village every year,” and urged allowance of beginning the process of merging village and town services “we can't afford.”
Mary Barber asked what the combined tax rate would be should this budget pass.
Acting town manager “Chip” Stearns clarified that the homestead rate would be $1.4316 for the educational rate; $1.44 for the non-residential education rate, and 90 cents for the town, resulting in village option No. 1 being a tax rate of 67 cents per $100 of assessed value, while village option No. 2 would be 65 cents.
Catherine Bergmann noted that the only real way to cut the budget was to cut personnel, and that while this was a hard choice, if that is what it took to reduce the budget, it should be done for the sake of the village.
She also brought up taxing apartment building owners differently than single homeowners, due to the additional burden on village services they present, as other communities have done, as something the board should consider in the future.
In a paper ballot, the main motion of option No. 1 passed, 52-43.
In other business under Article 2, Doug MacPhee noted that the voters of the Bellows Falls Village Corporation can vote to merge by dissolving its charter. By state statute, the Town of Rockingham would be required to take over the Fire Department, but not the Police Department.
MacPhee stated that the FY2015 budget needs to be reduced. He urged the board to contact the Windham County Sheriff's Department and request a proposal from them for dispatch and policing. MacPhee also suggested a committee be formed to review the 2009 Fire Department Study.
MacPhee emphasized that it is time that “we cease as a village.”
Mary Barber urged the Board to reconsider departmental liaisons between trustees and department heads and staff, as she felt the status quo is not good practice. Barber said she felt the proper oversight of the departments was the job of the Municipal Manager.