Voters throughout the county will assemble on Town Meeting Day on Tuesday, March 3, unless otherwise specified. For original copies of most of the warnings for these meetings, visit townmeeting2015.commonsnews.org.
Athens
• Voting for town officers takes place at the Athens Elementary School from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Town Meeting convenes at the Elementary School at 10 a.m.
Brattleboro
• Town elections will take place Tuesday, March 3. Polling is at the Municipal Center, 230 Main Street, Selectboard Meeting Room #212, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. All voting is by Australian Ballot. Voters will elect town officials, school officials, and Town Meeting members.
Representative Town Meeting for Town Meeting members will take place March 21.
On the ballot are three proposed amendments to the Town Charter:
• Youth Voting: Would lower the voting age in town elections to 16.
• Overspending Veto and Restoration of Free Speech: This amendment includes creating a pathway for taking Representative Town Meeting spending decisions above $2m to a town-wide vote. The amendment also changes the number of signatures needed to petition the Town for said vote and when the petitions will go before Town Meeting Members.
• Term Limits, Election Reform, and Free Speech: This amendment sets a six-year term limit for Town Meeting Members. Members may run for a seat again after a three-year hiatus. The amendment also moves town elections to the first Tuesday in November, would require employers to provide two hours of paid leave for voting, reinstate the Grand Juror position, and change when a petition appears before the Selectboard or School Board.
• One-percent-option referendum: The town has asked voters to partake in a non-binding referendum. This straw poll asks registered voters if they want the town to enact a 1 percent option sales tax.
Brookline
• Town Meeting will take place on March 3 at 10 a.m. in the Multipurpose Room at the Brookline School.
• Financial: Voters will be asked to consider approving a fiscal year 2016 General and Highway fund totaling $222,946 with $211,211 to be raised through taxes and the balance to come from surplus from fiscal year 2015. Voters will also consider approving $6,331 to support 22 local organizations.
• Brookline School purchase: The Selectboard and Brookline School District are asking voters to approve the town's purchase of the land, premises, and facilities of the Brookline School for $1. The school can revert back to the school district if the state pursues collecting a statutory lien on the property for school construction.
Dover
• Town Meeting is at the Town Hall on Dover Common on March 3, at 10 a.m. Voters will be asked to elect town and school district officials by Australian Ballot. Polls open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.
• Town officials' compensation: Voters will be asked to approve the compensation for town officers such as the Town Clerk, Selectboard members, and Listers.
• General fund: Voting to authorize general fund expenditures of $2,205,718.36.
• Highway fund: Voters will be asked to consider allocating $1,312,075.10 for the highway fund's operating expenses.
• Capital Funds under consideration include appropriating: $450,000 for the Capital Paving Fund, $200,000 for the Capital Equipment Fund, and $75,000 for the Capital Building Improvement Fund.
• Legal Defense Fund: Voters will consider appropriating $65,000 for the Town of Dover Legal Defense Fund.
Articles pertaining to the Town School District:
• Operational budget: Voters will be asked to authorize $2,989,722.
• Tuition rate: If approved by the voters, the tuition rate for students in grades 7 through 12 is up to $15,950 for the 2015-16 school year.
• Capital Reserve Fund: Voters will consider withdrawals: Up to $330,000 to offset the Homestead Tax Rate, and using $16,617.58 toward overage for the playground equipment. Article questions pertaining to transferring monies from the Capital Reserve Fund to other capital funds include: $10,550 to the Capital Vehicle Fund and $12,000 to the Capital Building Fund.
• Funding for various programs and organizations: $3,372 to support the Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS), $5,156.28 to support Memorial Hall Center for the Arts (MHCA), and $400 to support Windham Child Care Association.
Dummerston
• Town Meeting begins at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3 at the Dummerston School. Polls will open at 9 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
• Community Center repaint: Voters will decide whether to allot up to $12,000.00 to be used to paint the outside of the Dummerston Community Center. The Center, which was historically the West Dummerston school, is also home to the Lydia Taft Pratt library.
• Town budget: Voters will be presented with a $430,871 budget for FY 2015-16. A separate article will propose $487,476 to be spent on the highway fund.
• Change in tax collection date: The town will vote to change the existing tax collection date from Feb. 5 to Feb. 20.
Grafton
• Town Meeting will be held at the Grafton Elementary School on Tuesday, March 3, starting at 10 a.m.
• Capital budget: Voters are asked to authorize $139,000 for expenses relating to equipment purchases, guard rail work, highway structures, a fire truck, and Town Hall. Voters will also consider applying excess budget surplus of $88,654 to the Capital Budget Equipment Reserve.
• Maintaining highways and bridges: Voters will consider raising $509,000.
• Selectboard budget: The town is seeking authorization of $206,139.
• Emergency services: Voters will consider raising $9,000 for the ambulance service, $23,000 for the Firemen's Association's operating expenses, and $9,000 for the Grafton Rescue Squad.
• Local organizations: Voters will also consider raising $9,741 to support 14 humanitarian organizations. Also on the warning is raising $2,037 to support the Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS).
• Town garage: Voters are asked to consider selling the current Town Garage Property at 778 Route 121. The Town is asking voters to approve allocating any proceeds from the sale towards a new Town Garage at 220 Bell Road. No more than $75,000 of the sale would go towards construction of a salt shed. Voters will also consider applying up to $100,000 of the town's budget surplus to financing the new garage.
• Town school district: Voters are asked to consider approving the Athens/Grafton Joint Contract School District K-6 budget of $1,477,168. Voters will also vote on $977,522 in funding to educate Grafton's K-8 students.
Guilford
• Town Meeting begins at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3 in the Guilford Central School Gymnasium.
• Additional Selectboard members: Town residents will vote on whether to increase the size of the Selectboard from three to five members. Vermont legal limits for Selectboards range from three to five members.
• Natural playscape: A citizen-proposed natural play space to be created on town land. Guilford would not be responsible for any cost or maintenance. Liability issues, according to a VLCT lawyer, are already covered. The parcel, not far from the library and on the banks of Broad Brook, would be gently converted to a natural playground [story, C1].
• Town budget: Town will vote to approve a $998,326.50 budget for FY 2015-16. That is approximately $27,195 more than last year's approved spending, or a 0.1 percent increase.
• Covered bridge: The Green River Covered Bridge is set to undergo repairs, and the Selectboard is asking the town to bond or borrow up to $150,000 to match potential grants. The bridge load rating last year went down from 8 tons to 4 tons. The proposed repairs would let the bridge qualify for a live load rating of 8 tons.
Halifax
• Town Meeting begins at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3 at the Halifax Elementary School in West Halifax. Polls will be open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.
• Old garage for emergency medical services: In search of a building warm enough to protect medical supplies such as pharmaceuticals and batteries, the Halifax EMS will propose to voters leasing the old town garage site for a “term of not more than 49 years.” The site would be used to house the organization's emergency vehicle and other equipment. For a detailed conversation on the subject, you can visit halifaxvermont.com and locate the meeting minutes for Dec. 23, 2014.
• More Selectboard members: The town will vote on whether to add two positions to the Selectboard, each to serve one year. The decision would be made effective at the 2016 Annual Town Meeting.
Jamaica
• Town Meeting will take place in the Town Hall, on March 3 at 10 a.m.
• Election: Voters will be asked to elect town and school officials.
• Operating budget: Voters will be asked to approve the town's operating budget.
• The School District is asking voters to approve $1,187,170 to defray expenses during the 2015-16 school year.
Londonderry
• Town Meeting will take place at the Town Hall, Tuesday, March 3, at 9:30 a.m.
• Capital purchases for fire departments: $465,000 for a new pumper fire truck with $66,000 raised through taxes, $334,000 raised through debt, and the balance made up by the Champion Fire Company #5 which will lease the truck. Voters will also consider raising $40,000 to fund the operations of the Phoenix Fire Company #6 and Champion Fire Company #5.
• Highway Equipment Reserve Fund: The Town is asking voters to authorize raising $100,000.
• Nonprofit support: Voters will be asked to consider raising funds to support the Londonderry Conservation Fund, Memorial Park, Beautification Committee, and Volunteer Rescue Squad. Funds on the warning for the Mountain Valley Medical Center total $25,632. The South Londonderry Library Association is asking for $10,000.
• Local humanitarian organizations are asking voters to approve a total of $32,770 to support local services. The Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS) is asking voters to approve $5,300. The Montessori School is asking for an authorization of $2,000 and the Windham County Humane Society is asking for $500.
Marlboro
• Town Meeting will take place at the Town House, Tuesday, March 3, at 9 a.m. Polls will open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., for electing town officers by Australian Ballot.
• General Fund and highways: Voters will be asked to approve raising $225,000. The town is also asking for $315,000 for maintenance of town highways.
• Emergency services: Voters will consider approving $10,000 toward the Marlboro Volunteer Fire Department's operating expenses, $11,783.04 for services from Rescue, Inc., $1,500 for services from Deerfield Valley Rescue, Inc., and $1,000 to support Grace Cottage Hospital.
• Marlboro Mixer: Voters will vote on whether to authorize $3,000 to support the production of the newsletter.
• Humanitarian and local organizations, including the American Red Cross, Brattleboro Area Hospice, and Youth Services, are asking voters to approve more than $10,000 in funds.
Newfane
• Town Meeting begins at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3, at Williamsville Hall. Polls open at 9 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. The town offices will be open for early voting Friday, Feb. 27, and Saturday, Feb. 28, from 8 a.m. until noon.
• Quarterly taxes: Residents will decide if they would like to continue to pay taxes quarterly, on the 15th of August, October, January, and April.
• Town budget: The town is asking for $205,543.00 for FY 2016. Article 7 asks for $96,530, about 45%, to be raised by the Selectboard in that same fiscal year.
• Extended hours: The town will consider extending the offices of the Town Clerk and Treasurer to be open Monday through Friday. This is a non-binding article, which means it will be up for town consideration and discussion but is not legally required to be on the warning.
Putney
• Town Meeting begins at 10 a.m. at the Putney Central School on Tuesday, March 3. Polls will open at 10 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. in the same location.
• Landmark College tax exemption: The town will decide whether to exempt three sites of Landmark College from taxation. One lot, an apartment building, was purchased on Feb. 7. The other two are single-family homes in Putney.
• Three new trustees: The town will elect three new trustees for the library, continuing its rejuvenation of leadership. Former director Stephen Coronella retired last year. The current director is Emily Zervas.
• Backhoe and grader: The Selectboard will ask the town to borrow $80,000, to be paid off in five years or sooner. The backhoe will be used for the Highway Department. A separate article requests the purchase of a grader for $160,000.
• School district: Six articles pertain directly to the Putney Town School District. These include authorizing the board to accept grants and aid from state and federal government, determining budget, and authorizing the school board to borrow money for taxes.
• Town budget: Proposed budget for FY 2016 is $1,931,944.
Rockingham
• Town Meeting begins 7 p.m. on Monday, March 2, at the Bellows Falls Opera House. Voting by Australian ballot will continue at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3 at the Masonic Temple, 61 Westminster St.
• New fire truck: Voters will vote to raise $60,000 for a 1-ton rescue vehicle for the Rockingham Fire Department. $45,000 would come from taxes and $15,000 from the Fire Equipment Fund.
• Outpatient Fund: Rockingham will decide whether to raise and spend $2,700 to support outpatient mental health and substance abuse services. These services would be provided by the staff of Health Care and Rehabilitation Services (HCRS) for town residents.
• Library costs: Voters will decide whether to raise and spend $381,906 for the Rockingham Free Public Library, 86 percent of which will come from taxes.
• Town budget: $5,012,175 for the general fund, including repairing and maintaining highways and paying regular expenses of the town for FY 2016. The article proposes that $4,241,140 be raised by taxes.
Stratton
• Town Meeting begins at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3, in the Town Hall.
• Appropriation requests: The town will approve, deny, or amend appropriation requests totaling $27,835. The largest sums include $7,000 for the Grace Cottage Foundation, $5,000 for the Wardsboro Volunteer Fire Association, $3,000 for Wardsboro Volunteer Rescue, and $2,600 for the Wardsboro Public Library.
• General Fund: The town will also consider the request for raising a $999,507.31 budget for the general fund for FY 2016.
• Elections: Stratton will be voting for a moderator, treasurer, three Selectboard members, three Planning Commission members, and eight other public positions.
Townshend
• Town Meeting begins at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3 in the Town Hall.
• Town budget: The general fund will be proposed as $498,959. Highway fund will be $690,242.
• Change in number of town listers: An article suggests decreasing the number of town listers from five to three. This article was requested by the three current town listers, who have noted that there are only two computers in the listers' office and not much room. The other two town listers' positions are vacant after both officials were involved in the double homicide last year; both held one-year terms. If this request passes, the three listers will each hold three-year terms.
• Unclaimed land: The town will review the Selectboard's annual request to sell or convey property - this time, with a particular piece of land in mind: an abandoned 17-acre parcel in West Townshend.
Vernon
• Town Meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 2. Voting by Australian Ballot for Articles 1-3 will be held downstairs at the Town Office on Tuesday, March 3. Voting hours: 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Town meeting will resume at 7:30 p.m. on March 3 if any articles remain. You can review the warning posted at the Vernon Town Offices. (Copies by request).
• Elimination of town auditor position: The town will decide whether to remove the position of town auditor. If removed, present duties would be distributed by the Selectboard, and audits would be preformed by an external accountant. The office of town auditor, according to the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, is to “prepare and publish an audit report that reviews the accounts of the town's treasurer, Selectboard, tax collector, and other municipal officials who submit bills for expenses to the town for payment on a monthly or annual basis.” The auditor must also report and mail findings to registered voters at least 10 days before Town Meeting.
• Elimination of two Selectboard seats: A petition proposes scrapping two seats on the Vernon Selectboard, leaving a board comprised of three members, including the chair. The lowest legal limit number for Selectboard members is three. Most towns in Vermont have three or five members.
• Town budget: Voters will be asked to consider a $2,057,681 budget for FY '15-'16. The estimated income for that same fiscal year is $255,000. A $87,803.99 surplus remains from last year. The rest, $1,714,877, will be raised by taxpayers and from other sources of revenue.
Wardsboro
• The town will ask voters to approve a town budget of $908,668.
Westminster
• Town Meeting begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, in the Bellows Falls Union High School auditorium. Child care is available. Voting will begin at the Westminster Institute at 8 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Any remaining articles will be addressed at the BFUHS auditorium on Tuesday, March 3, starting at 8 p.m.
• Town school district authority to borrow money: A recent school board meeting for WNESU (Windham Northeast Supervisory Union) reported that BFUHS must make up $90,769 from a deficit last year. About $6 million of educational spending must be raised from taxes, a total increase of 1 percent. Enrollment at the high school is up from most towns.
• Stone for highways: Residents will decide whether to appropriate a parcel of land for $130,000. The 53.4-acre parcel, off Goldies Road, will be used to supply the town with stone for the highway department. Blasting would occur every few years.
Windham
• Town Meeting is held in the Meeting House on Windham Hill Road, Tuesday, March 3, starting at 10 a.m. A potluck lunch will be served. All votes are made from the floor.
• The Windham Elementary School District is asking voters to authorize $363,333 for the 2015-16 school year.
• General Fund: Voters will consider authorizing $159,885.
• Highway Fund has a proposed amount of $204,854 for summer road maintenance and $224,097 for winter road maintenance.
• Bridge and roads capital reserve fund: The town is asking voters to approve $50,000 for future bituminous treatment (resurfacing of paved roads) on town roads.
• Windham Volunteer Fire Company: Voters will also consider approving $20,000 to help purchase a new fire truck.
• Tax payments: An article would change how residents submit their tax payments. If approved, the treasurer's office will accept tax payments postmarked on or before Oct. 31. According to Selectboard member Mary Boyer, this new method should help relieve the Oct. 31 time crunch historically experienced by residents and the town treasurer.
Whitingham
• Town Meeting will take place at the Municipal Center starting at 10 a.m. on March 3. Polls for Australian ballot questions open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voters will be asked to vote on two Twin Valley School District articles by Australian ballot:
⃠Elect all Town School District officers.
⃠A Twin Valley School District budget of $10,385,262 to “support the extraordinary special education costs and operations.”
Voters will be asked to consider the following funding related articles for fiscal year 2016:
⃠General Fund: $692,787 general use of the town for fiscal year 2016. $376,304 to be raised in taxes and the balance offset by $179,429 in anticipated revenues, and $137,054 appropriated from prior year's fund balance.
⃠Town Hill Common: $7,509 for the upkeep and improvement.
⃠Town Fire Department: $70,335 for operation and $20,000 for the Fire Department Equipment Fund.
⃠Town highways: $1,243,512 for maintenance and repair; $1,080,230 to be raised in taxes, offset by $114,800 in anticipated revenues and the previous year balance of $48,482. Voters will also be asked to consider raising $85,000 for the Highway Equipment Fund.
⃠Whitingham Free Public Library is requesting $73,531 for its operations with $62,278 to be raised in taxes with the balance offset by $12,265 in anticipated donations.
⃠Municipal Facilities Fund: $10,000 for continued maintenance.
⃠Town cemeteries: $16,400 for operation.
⃠Old Home Week: $10,000 for support of activities.
⃠School property use fee: Voters will also be asked to allow the Selectboard to use the $120,000 fee allocated for use of the school property with $110,000 for town use of school property and $10,000 for the Wings program.
• Humanitarian and nonprofit support: Voters will also be asked to consider allocating funds for various programs and organizations for fiscal year 2016: $4,700 for Valley Youth Sports, $1,795 for Wings, $3,750 for the Visiting Nurse Association, $3,000 for the operation of the Pool Learning Center, $2,500 for the Deerfield Valley Community Partnerships, $2,100 for Economic Development in Whitingham, $1,200 for the Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA), $1,000 for Deerfield Valley Community Cares, $850 for the Women's Freedom Center, $750 for the Council on Aging now known as Senior Solutions, $500 for the Deerfield Valley Food Pantry, and $305 for the Green Mountain Retired Senior Volunteer program.
Wilmington
• Town Meeting will be at the former high school gymnasium at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3. Voting on articles by Australian ballot will take place there on March 3, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Articles to vote by Australian ballot:
• Elect all Town and Town School District Officers
• Twin Valley School District budget of $10,385,262 to “support the extraordinary special education costs and operations.”
Articles to vote from the floor:
• Town budgets for fiscal year 2016: Voters will be asked to consider raising $1,866,778 for the General Fund. Voters will also consider raising $1,167,098 for the Town Road Budget.
• Capital funds: Voters will vote on raising $200,000 for the Highway Town Road Equipment Capital Fund. The voters will consider raising $150,000 for the Fire Department Equipment Capital Fund. Voters will be asked to also consider raising $25,000 for the Memorial Hall Capital Fund.
• Capital reserve funds: Voters will consider raising funds for two capital reserve funds. $12,000 for the library and $1,000 for the playground.