| BF
lives beyond its means
Editor of the Reformer:
I would like to call your
attention to the article "Town Meeting will decide emergency
question" published in the Reformer on Jan. 24.
The real answer lies in
the village of Bellows Falls. For the last 25 years the village
has been living way beyond its means! By law the fire and police
cover an area of "one square mile." For this the embattled
residents of the village pay $377,000 for the fire and $880,000
for the police. Total $1,257,000. And now because of the village
trustees failure to control spending, "special interests" are
attempting to "cost shift" the problem to the town.
Why for one square mile do
we need a paid staff of firemen and police? Ninety-eight percent
of the fire departments in the state of Vermont are volunteer!
Saxtons River has a volunteer fire department and contracts with
the State Police for $6,000. Rural Rockingham has a volunteer
fire department and is covered by the State Police at no fee.
If this goes through, the
present cost won't stop there. Promotions, retirement benefits
and health care will skyrocket, year after year. A chart issued
by the town manager last summer delineated the cost. A house in
Saxtons River appraised at $100,000 will pay $3,333.33. At
$200,000 a house will pay 6,666.66. This assumes a budget of $1
million.
Does anyone believe that
the budget will stop at a million? Since the summer,
Rockingham's cost has been revised upward to 65 cents. That
means at a $100,000 appraisal, with $1 million budget, an
average house will pay $650. At $200,000, the cost would be
$1,300.
Take the ambulance
service. Right now, the town pays $80,000. If ambulance service
is put on the grant list, we are looking at $120,000 cost per
ambulance plus personnel, plus benefits, health and worse --
liability.
How much do you think
commercial rate for liability would cost? I would say that the
$80,000 is well spent!
I would like to lift this
cost from the village residents. Turn the fire department into
volunteer. Contract with the State Police or the county
sheriff's department. After all, it is only one square mile! Let
the ambulance service stay as it is.
Lastly, we need better
representation. The individuals we have elected to office do not
represent the needs of the community; they have their own
agenda.
Please come to the meeting
to voice your concerns and vote on the evening of March 5.
Dave Cregan
Rockingham, Feb. 13 |
