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Windham County
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Windham County
Sheriff's Department
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March 26, 2008 - (Eagle Times) - "Police part of BF identity" - (Return to News) Trustees
OK village budget After much debate, the trustees approved by a 3-2 vote the 2009 budget of $1,586,047. The budget keeps police services in town and under Police Chief Ron Lake's control, versus the option of contracting with the Windham County Sheriff Department, which would have been $217,000 less annually. Village President Clark Barber and trustee Stefan Golec both supported a budget of $1,368,673. "I have a problem not offering the taxpayers the lowest possible budget," Barber said. The figure would dismantle the village police and Barber suggested adding in $50,000 to save in case the situation didn't work. Trustees Roger Riccio, Dennis Ladd and Gary DeRosia all voted for the $1.59 million budget. Each village home owner would save on average $101 a year if services were switched to the county, an amount Riccio said wasn't worth losing the local control. "I'm looking at a cup of coffee a week for the difference, for what it's going to provide," he said. Trustees have debated a change in police services for the last few months. The sheriff's department offered a two-year contract for $650,000 a year, but had to add in $19,700 more for a parking enforcement officer and school crossing guard. The cost of the school resource officer at $15,149 wasn't originally in Sheriff Keith Clark's proposal, but he told village administrators Monday that cost would be absorbed into his budget. "The difference is closing slightly," Municipal Manager Jim Mullen said of the two options for policing. An additional $10,000 would need to be added to Clark's budget for dispatch services, but the total difference between the two budgets is $217, 374, he said. Before Lake's budget was accepted, he was asked if he could cut his proposal by $100,000. "In a perfect world I could cut $130,000 off, but this isn't a perfect world," he said. "The price of gas is going to change tomorrow." A large part of Lake's budget, about $200,000, is made up of employee benefits and insurance, which he has no control over, he said. The village police budget was accepted by trustees at about $899,000. Lake cut two full-time officers from the budget. Additionally, the town is paying $45,000 for street lighting, eliminating the expense from the village. There is no estimated tax rate increase for the 2009 fiscal year at this point. The current village homestead tax rate is $2.5058 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, the highest in the state. Bellows Falls has the second highest municipal tax rate in the state with $1.2865 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. Voters can approve or amend the budget at the floor of the annual meeting, scheduled for 7:30 p.m., May 19, at the Bellows Falls Opera House. Elizabeth Martin can be reached at (800) 545-0347 Ext. 103, or at emartin@eagletimes.com. Content © 2007 Eagle Publications Inc. Software © 1998-2007 1up! Software, All Rights Reserved |
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