Killington budget finds some savings

Rutland Herald | February 13, 2018
By JULIA PURDY
Correspondent

KILLINGTON — Voters will be asked to approve town general fund budget expenditures of $4.4 million when they cast Town Meeting Day ballots next month.

The budget would be supported by $3.17 million is to be raised from property taxes and $984,300 from other tax revenues.

The remaining amount, an estimated $245,457, will be supplied by the remaining balance in the current budget, said Town Manager Deb Schwartz.

Voting for the budget and town officers will be by Australian ballot on Tuesday, March 6, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the town office. A public informational meeting will be held Monday, March 5, at Killington Elementary School.

Expenditures include $868,586 in capital fund allocations, $654,480 in indebtedness, and $2.87 in general fund expenses.

Major sources of nontax revenues include federal and state payments ($344,300), recreation programs ($64,150), and the local option rooms and meals tax ($384,650).

Select Board Chairwoman Patty McGrath noted that the municipal tax rate is 40 cents, down from the current fiscal year.

“We tried to keep things as conservative as possible,” McGrath said, adding that savings of almost $350,000 were achieved by eliminating funding special events, events administration and strategic investment activities (Killington Gateway beautification, wayfinding, grantwriting and World Cup).

Responsibility for those items were transferred to Killington Resort and the Killington-Pico Area Association in exchange for the town rescinding the local option sales and use tax (but not rooms and meals). That arrangement will take effect July 1.

“Our goal is to build up reserves so we can operate more financially efficiently while maintaining existing facilities and services for the town residents,” Schwartz said.

Requests from organizations and agencies seeking voter support total $82,130, up by 1 percent from the current year.

Requests for funding include: Visiting Nurse and Hospice, $2,530; Rutland Mental Health, $1,250; Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging, $800; Ottauquechee Community Partnership for Youth, $500; Shining Light Mentoring, $500; Advocacy Resources Commission, $300; Rutland Women’s Shelter, $350; Rutland Humane Society, $300; Retired Senior Volunteer Program, $200; Green Up Vermont, $100; Vermont Council on Rural Development, $500; Rutland Parent-Child Center, $300; American Red Cross, $500; The Mentor Connector, $500; Vermont Adult Learning, $200; The Bus (Marble Valley Transit), $1,200; Killington Aquatics Club, $500; Child First Advocacy, $400; Rutland Regional Planning Commission, $950; Vermont Rural Fire Protection Task Force, $100; and Habitat for Humanity, $500; Appropriations to government functions include Killington Fire Warden, $400; Ambulance, $3,250; Cemeteries, $4,000; and Rutland County Tax, $62,000.

Jim Haff, Jay Hickory and Kelly Lange are all vying for the three-year Select Board seat vacated by Christopher Bianchi.

Haff has been a Killington resident since 1997 and previously held a three-year term on the Select Board from 2010-12. He owns and operates Butternut Inn and Pancake House in Killington.

“Town debt catches my interest,” he said. His motivation is “to bring the town back to fiscal responsibility so we as voters can make well-informed decisions in the areas of schools, the library, all-inclusive recreation and roads.”

Hickory is a native of Bridgewater; he works as the plant manager for Vermod zero-energy modular homes in Wilder. He said his concern is town finances, especially the recreation department and programs. If elected, he expects to continue work on the fiscal year 2019 budget.

Lange is running for public office for the first time. She said she knows many young professionals in Killington who want to get involved in the town.

“What is important,” she said, “is focusing on our budget. There are a lot of changes from Montpelier. It’s important that the town has an engaged Select Board to control costs but making sure we have sustainable infrastructure and the capital and reserves to support programs, from our active seniors to the school board.”

Lange has been a Killington resident for six years, serves as vice president of Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, and works as director of health care reform at Blue Cross Blue Shield in Montpelier.