Vermont Standard
By Curt Peterson
Standard Correspondent
KILLINGTON — Anyone who braved blizzard conditions March 2 looking for excitement at the Killington Town Voting preview meeting was not disappointed. The race between incumbent Selectman Chris Bianchi and challenger Jim Haff played out on the floor from candidates’ statements through budget discussions. Haff frequently implied that the financial report from 2014 is inaccurate and the select board’s figures are misleading. Bianchi defended the report and its accuracy. The vote reflected Haff’s effort; Bianchi’s 176 votes narrowly beat Haff’s 153.
Votes were cast on Tuesday, March 3. In uncontested voting, Eileen Godfrey was elected as a Lister, Horace Glaze as Grand Juror, M. B. Neisner Jr. as Town Agent, Diane Miller as Trustee of Public Funds, Lou Grob as Cemetery Commissioner, and Jill Post as Library Trustee.
M. B. Neisner, Town Meeting Moderator for 10 years, introduced Betsy Bianchi and Kristin Hagenbarth, who presented the George Kenneth Krantz Volunteer of the Year award to the entire Clark family for their many activities for the town. Ian Clark and his mother Susan accepted flowers and a plaque on behalf of the clan.
State Representative Job Tate, who has been in office for a little over two months, gave a sobering report on what is going on in the Legislature, painting a dire economic picture. Regarding schools, Tate said, “Unless we’re willing to consolidate, we are going to have to lay off some people.” On a more positive note, he said he was proud to learn that other legislators feel Killington’s school is a model in management. “Lots of people in Montpelier say Killington is doing it right.”
Tate has co-sponsored a bill to reduce legislators’ pay. “If we’re going to take a scalpel to everybody else’s budget, we have to start first with our own”, he said.
Killington’s unusual one-time, 18-month budget drew a lot of questions. Article 2 of the Warnings proposed four tax payments spread out from August 2015 through May 2016. Town Clerk and Tax Collector Lucrecia Wonsor gave a succinct explanation of the reasons for the payment schedule change, and that it will not cost the town any additional interest. The Article was approved by voters.
Some residents asked if Automatic Clearing House electronic payments could be set up for property taxes, to avoid missing a payment and incurring a late charge. Wonsor said taxpayers can visit the town website or come in to the office for help setting up an ACH payment plan. One resident suggested a discount for prepaying taxes, which Town Manager Seth Webb said might not be legally doable, but that he would check on it.
Article 3, the town budget for 18 months, from Jan. 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016, totals $6,282,554, of which $3,732,950 will come from property taxes, $243,550 applied from the $2014 budget surplus, $2,082,277 will come from nonproperty taxes, and $223,778 in expected FEMA reimbursements. Voters approved Article 3 by almost two-to-one.
The select board proposed to borrow $42,000 in an interest-free loan from Green Mountain Evergreen Fund to upgrade Killington’s streetlights to a more energy-efficient system. Marty Post, from the Energy Committee, said the town should be eligible for an Efficiency Vermont rebate to reduce the cost of the installation, and the new system will save $4,000 in electricity per year, making it a net zero investment over time. Voters approved the Article 252 to 77.
If the select board had expected objections to increasing their annual stipend from $1,000 to $2,000, they were wrong. Without any questions at the preview, their raise in pay was approved 213 to 177. Historically, the board’s compensation had been $2,000 per year until 2010, when, in the face of the recession, they reduced it to $1,000, then to zero. It was raised to $1,000 again in 2013, and has now achieved its pre-2010 level again.
By Curt Peterson
Standard Correspondent
KILLINGTON — Anyone who braved blizzard conditions March 2 looking for excitement at the Killington Town Voting preview meeting was not disappointed. The race between incumbent Selectman Chris Bianchi and challenger Jim Haff played out on the floor from candidates’ statements through budget discussions. Haff frequently implied that the financial report from 2014 is inaccurate and the select board’s figures are misleading. Bianchi defended the report and its accuracy. The vote reflected Haff’s effort; Bianchi’s 176 votes narrowly beat Haff’s 153.
Votes were cast on Tuesday, March 3. In uncontested voting, Eileen Godfrey was elected as a Lister, Horace Glaze as Grand Juror, M. B. Neisner Jr. as Town Agent, Diane Miller as Trustee of Public Funds, Lou Grob as Cemetery Commissioner, and Jill Post as Library Trustee.
M. B. Neisner, Town Meeting Moderator for 10 years, introduced Betsy Bianchi and Kristin Hagenbarth, who presented the George Kenneth Krantz Volunteer of the Year award to the entire Clark family for their many activities for the town. Ian Clark and his mother Susan accepted flowers and a plaque on behalf of the clan.
State Representative Job Tate, who has been in office for a little over two months, gave a sobering report on what is going on in the Legislature, painting a dire economic picture. Regarding schools, Tate said, “Unless we’re willing to consolidate, we are going to have to lay off some people.” On a more positive note, he said he was proud to learn that other legislators feel Killington’s school is a model in management. “Lots of people in Montpelier say Killington is doing it right.”
Tate has co-sponsored a bill to reduce legislators’ pay. “If we’re going to take a scalpel to everybody else’s budget, we have to start first with our own”, he said.
Killington’s unusual one-time, 18-month budget drew a lot of questions. Article 2 of the Warnings proposed four tax payments spread out from August 2015 through May 2016. Town Clerk and Tax Collector Lucrecia Wonsor gave a succinct explanation of the reasons for the payment schedule change, and that it will not cost the town any additional interest. The Article was approved by voters.
Some residents asked if Automatic Clearing House electronic payments could be set up for property taxes, to avoid missing a payment and incurring a late charge. Wonsor said taxpayers can visit the town website or come in to the office for help setting up an ACH payment plan. One resident suggested a discount for prepaying taxes, which Town Manager Seth Webb said might not be legally doable, but that he would check on it.
Article 3, the town budget for 18 months, from Jan. 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016, totals $6,282,554, of which $3,732,950 will come from property taxes, $243,550 applied from the $2014 budget surplus, $2,082,277 will come from nonproperty taxes, and $223,778 in expected FEMA reimbursements. Voters approved Article 3 by almost two-to-one.
The select board proposed to borrow $42,000 in an interest-free loan from Green Mountain Evergreen Fund to upgrade Killington’s streetlights to a more energy-efficient system. Marty Post, from the Energy Committee, said the town should be eligible for an Efficiency Vermont rebate to reduce the cost of the installation, and the new system will save $4,000 in electricity per year, making it a net zero investment over time. Voters approved the Article 252 to 77.
If the select board had expected objections to increasing their annual stipend from $1,000 to $2,000, they were wrong. Without any questions at the preview, their raise in pay was approved 213 to 177. Historically, the board’s compensation had been $2,000 per year until 2010, when, in the face of the recession, they reduced it to $1,000, then to zero. It was raised to $1,000 again in 2013, and has now achieved its pre-2010 level again.
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4 1. Incumbent Selectman Chris Bianchi defeated challenger Jim Haff. 2. The Town of Killington panel, from left, selectman Ken Lee, Bianchi, Patty McGrath and town manager Seth Webb. 3. Betsy Bianchi, left, and Kristin Hagenbarth present the Krantz award to Ian and Susan Clark (not pictured). 4. McGrath answers a question.
Curt Peterson Photos
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