Windham County Sheriff's Department
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By HOWARD WEISS-TISMAN, Reformer Staff
Brattleboro Reformer

Last year voters rejected the village budget when it was first presented, and the fiscal year 2007 spending plan was only approved after the Trustees promised to consider serious cuts in the coming year.

Police coverage was reduced to 75 percent this year, but the Village is still looking at an estimated $100,000 deficit, largely from overspending in the fire and police departments. And that, on top of the $50,000 deficit from 2006, is forcing the Trustees to go into next year's budget process already deep in a hole.

At a special meeting Tuesday, the Trustees are going to get their first look at some drastic proposals that Municipal manager John Schempf put together.

Schempf has proposed cutting the police department entirely, which would save approximately $550,000 from the $1.5 million budget. Other ideas included hiring the Windham County Sheriff's Department to provide law enforcement in the Village which could save thousands of dollars a year.

Eliminating the paid fire department and starting a volunteer department would save the Village about $200,000, according to Schempf, and other possible cuts to the sidewalk and dispatch line items would also mean thousands of dollars in savings.

Now it is up to the Trustees to decide just how deep they are willing to go.

"We have a lot to talk about," said Trustee Luise Light, who is up for re-election this year. "There is no question that the Village wants us to cut the budget. The question is how will we maintain essential services without paying through the nose."

Roger Riccio and Village President Clark Barber are also ending their terms this year.

The deadline for returning petitions is April 9.

According to financial director John O'Connor, as the proposed budget stands today, the Village tax rate would go down by about one penny if things are largely left the way they are.

He stressed that there is a still long way to go before a final budget is presented, but O'Connor said he needs a firm decision by the second or third week in April to print the Village report.

"There is not a lot of time," said O'Connor. "All of these ideas need to be considered, but the Trustees have to make their decisions."

The recently approved settlement with TransCanada over the value of the Bellows Falls hydroelectric station will probably bring in about $145,000 to the Village, O'Connor said, though those discussions with the town of Rockingham have not yet taken place.

That money will zero out the $150,000 deficit, causing the Trustees to start this budget process at square-one, which is better that being in the hole, he said.

Light said it is always hard for the Village to pass a budget. The town and school budgets are passed in March at town meeting, and by the time the Village meeting is held in May voters are in no mood to consider another tax increase.

"We are always the last guys on the block and we are the ones who are expected to do something," said Light.

Along with Schempf's suggestions, Light said the Trustees have a number of other options.

The Bellows Falls Police Department just installed a new digital radio system and there may be an opportunity to bring in some revenue by contracting out dispatch service to some surrounding towns.

And while talks with the townwide Emergency Services Review Committee have stalled, there still might be ways to spread some of the spending out beyond the Village borders.

As they move ahead and face some very hard decisions, Light said it will be important not to sacrifice the safety of the families and businesses in Bellows Falls.

"We have some options we will be discussing Tuesday," Light said. "The Village residents expect us to show them the cuts and that is where we are moving. But we have to be sensible.

We are really tussling with those issues and we are looking at every line item. We have to."

The Bellows Falls annual meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 14.

Howard Weiss-Tisman can be reached at hwtisman@reformer.com or 802-254-2311, ext. 279.