Thetford’s annual Town Meeting and school meeting will take place starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 4, in the gymnasium of Thetford Academy. On Tuesday, March 7, voters will elect town and school officers and decide on the school district budget and capital improvement fund request by ballot. Polls that day will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Thetford Town Hall.
Thetford
The Thetford Selectboard has proposed spending $2.45 million, up more than 7 percent over the previous year’s budget.
Among the items driving the increase are deferred overruns from the construction of the Lake Fairlee Dam, health insurance, the anticipated hiring of a third police officer, digitizing emergency medical services records and plans to increase staffing at the town-owned Treasure Island next summer, Selectboard Chairman Stuart Rogers said.
There are efforts underway to mitigate future municipal cost increases, Rogers said. By moving the town employees onto the state’s health insurance exchange, the town hopes to save money in the future, he said.
“But who knows,” he said, given the volatile political situation surrounding the Affordable Care Act, former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law that created the exchanges and has been under fire by the Trump administration.
As a result of municipal cost increases, taxpayers could expect to see the tax rate rise more than 6 percent, from 66 cents per $100 of assessed value to 70 cents.
That would add about $100 in municipal taxes to a $250,000 home.
In a separate article, voters also will be asked to decide whether the town will take ownership of about 3 acres of land in East Thetford, to the west of Route 5 and north of Church Lane, for senior and affordable housing. Though the land would be owned by the town, the cost will not be borne by taxpayers, Rogers said.
On the school side, voters will be asked to approve spending $8.77 million, up nearly 6 percent over the amount voters approved last year.
Contributing to the increase are a deficit in the preschool budget for the current year, the rising cost of special education services and an increase in high school tuition, School Board Chairwoman Shannon Darrah said.
In a separate article on the warning, voters will be asked to approve raising an additional $50,000 for the capital improvement fund. The School Board is asking for the funds in order to save for anticipated future costs such as boiler replacements and roof repairs, Darrah said.
“We just want to make sure we have some of that money so it’s not a huge hit right at once,” she said.
If all school spending is approved, the tax rate would go up one cent to $1.91 per $100 of assessed value, adding about $25 to the tax bill for a property assessed at a value of $250,000.
Things helping to keep the tax rate from creeping up this year include a common level of appraisal at 99 percent and an increase in the number of equalized pupils to 416 from 407.
“We just hope that the following year (the number of pupils) doesn’t go down,” Darrah said.
In the town’s sole contested race, Selectman John Bacon will face former road crew foreman Doug Stone for a three-year Selectboard seat.
Selectman James Dixon is unopposed for a two-year seat, as is Bill Huff for the reamning year to complete a three-year term.
On the school side, there are no contested races.
Incumbent Scott MacPhee is running for a two-year seat and incumbent Julie Acker is up for a three-year seat.
Nora Doyle-Burr can be reached at ndoyleburr@vnews.com or 603-727-3213.
