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Windham County
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Windham County
Sheriff's Department
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May 12, 2008 - (Eagle Times) - "Potential police savings explained in alternative budget" - (Return to News) Potential police
savings explained in alternative budget At a time when Bellows Falls and the town of Rockingham are considering ways to reduce tax burdens among the highest in the state, the debate over saving money with Sheriff Keith Clark's proposal or maintaining a service that helps define the village is likely to continue at the annual meeting. That debate will also continue during a candidates forum May 15 at 7 p.m. in the Women's Meeting Club Room in the basement of town hall. Cathy Bergmann and Jim Mitchell are running for village president. Trustee Stefan Golec and first time candidate Scott Falzo are running for two seats on the board of trustees. Village President Clark Barber and Trustee Gary DeRosia are not seeking reelection. In March trustees voted 3-2 for a $1,586,047 village budget that will keep the 55.26 cents per $100 of property valuation tax rate steady and keep the local police force in place. The annual reports came out recently and included the alternative budget proposal reflecting a 13.9 percent overall reduction in the tax rate, or about 7.7 cents. DeRosia, Dennis Ladd and Roger Riccio voted for a budget that keeps the police department. Barber and Golec support the lower budget figure. Municipal Manager Jim Mullen said it was agreed to include the alternative budget in the annual report to allow residents the chance to compare the numbers and have a starting place for the debate at the annual meeting if anyone moves to adopt the alternative budget. Clark, a former Bellows Falls Police chief, offered a two-year contract of around $670,000, including $10,000 for dispatch services. The village police budget is around $899,000, with Chief Ron Lake cutting two full time officers from the proposal. The net savings from expenses and revenue adjustments is $214,974, but the alternative budget shows an $187,470 reduction because the village would receive fewer tax dollars from TransCanada due to the smaller budget. The village and town recently reviewed a report by Finance Director John O'Connor comparing local tax rates across the state on a per parcel basis and with towns of similar size. It showed Bellows Falls with the highest municipal tax rate and Rockingham 24th. Removing TransCanada, the largest taxpayer in the village and town with its hydroelectric generating facility, drops both in terms of rankings. But out of 264 municipalities in Vermont, Bellows Falls still ranked eight by O'Connor's calculations and Rockingham 47th. Dan Bustard can be reached at (802) 885-1707, or by e-mail at dbustard@eagletimes.com. Content © 2007 Eagle Publications Inc. Software © 1998-2007 1up! Software, All Rights Reserved |
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