MIDDLESEX, Vt. The town meeting, for centuries, was a staple of New England life but the coronavirus pandemic could accelerate the departure from the tradition where people gather to debate everything from the purchase of local road equipment to.
Town Meeting preview: Grantham splits voting between March and May
Published: 2/26/2021 9:57:30 PM
Modified: 3/3/2021 7:38:03 PM
Hot topic: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, voting on Grantham candidates, as well as the school budget and articles, will be held by Australian ballot on Tuesday, March 9. Voting on the town budget and municipal warrant articles has been postponed until May, when officials plan to hold a Town Meeting with a floor vote outside.
Budget: On the school side, voters will be asked to approve a $10.3 million operating budget, which is around a 3.2% increase from the 2020-21 school year. If the budget and all articles are approved, the tax rate would increase by 39 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, or an additional $98 for the owner of a $250,000 home.
Town Meeting preview: Canaan voters to weigh building, zoning regulations
Published: 2/25/2021 10:04:56 PM
Modified: 2/26/2021 3:23:05 PM
Hot topic: Voters will be asked to approve a zoning ordinance that would dictate what types of buildings are allowed in the Canaan Historic District along part of Canaan Street, as well as regulate signs and set height requirements. The article was proposed by the Planning Board and the Selectboard has come out against it.
Budget: The proposed budget is $4.13 million, about $91,000 higher than last year’s approved general fund budget. According to the town report, taxes are expected to rise 1% because revenue from 2020 was higher than expected and the tax base grew by 1%.
Town Meeting preview: Randolph to decide on ‘opt-in’ for retail cannabis
Published: 2/25/2021 10:05:45 PM
Modified: 2/25/2021 10:08:47 PM
Hot topic: Randolph voters will decide whether to allow cannabis dispensaries in town when the sale of recreational amounts of marijuana becomes legal in Vermont next year. A new state law requires towns to “opt in” if they want to have such shops.
Budget: Total General Fund spending is slated to increase by less than $6,000, to $3.26 million. Highway Fund spending is increasing by about $114,000, to $1.98 million. If all town spending is approved, the municipal tax rate is expected to increase by 3.7 cents per $100 of assessed value, to just under 83 cents.
Annual Meeting preview: Claremont School District keeps spending simple with just a budget vote
Published: 2/24/2021 9:41:38 PM
Modified: 2/24/2021 9:43:59 PM
Pandemic Precautions: Because of COVID-19, drive-thru voting on the Claremont School District warrant will be conducted from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 9, at three locations. Ward I will vote at Stevens High School; Ward II, Claremont Middle School; and Ward III, Disnard Elementary School.
Budget: The only appropriation on the school district warrant this year is the proposed $37.78 million budget for the 2021-22 school year.
School Board Chairman Frank Sprague said there are no separate warrant articles because last year voters approved using almost $3 million in one-time state money for several capital projects and establish two reserve funds for building renovations and bus repair and replacement.