Thetford
The Selectboard on July 30 approved a Special Town Meeting, to be held on Oct. 3, where residents will be asked in a floor vote if an Australian ballot vote should then be held in the November elections to “authorize the Selectboard to employ a Town Manager.”
Discussion surrounding hiring a town manager to alleviate the work burden on the Selectboard has been discussed for 18 months, Selectboard Chairman Stuart Rogers said, and the Selectboard in April appointed a committee to study the expenses and steps needed to implement such a hire.
“A town manager would run the town, the personnel and the daily operation of the town,” Rogers said. “If the septic system is being overhauled, she or he can oversee that and make sure it’s working within the operating budget. The idea is more efficiency. Right now, if there is a question for the road department, it first has to be placed on a warned agenda so we can talk about it in an open meeting before any action can be taken on it. Things that with a town manager would be a matter of days are a matter of weeks, typically, with the way it is now.”
A town manager — whose authorities under Vermont statute include the general supervision of the affairs of the town, the administrative heading of all departments of the town government and the responsibility for efficient administration — could cost Thetford between $88,620 and $198,580, depending on additional hires often accompanying town managers, such as a financial officer and municipal assistants, the town manager committee found.
To pay for the position, and possibly the other slots, the panel also calculated a tax increase of between $27 and $58 per $100,000 of assessed valuation.
Rogers said the cost has yet to be determined, pending a formal job description. The Selectboard is holding what would be two votes this fall in part to allow for voting by Australian ballot on Nov. 6, when a large number of residents are expected to go to the polls, rather than having to put off the matter until March Town Meeting.
Mike Kiess, an East Thetford resident who was on the town manager committee, noted that it would allow Thetford’s volunteer base to focus more strategically on long-term matters. The committee surveyed other area towns of similar populations that have adopted town manager models — including Norwich, Windsor and Hartland — and the general consensus toward the transition was affirmative, Kiess said. Thetford has a population of 2,600.
“Their experience was that it was better for the town. They felt it allowed them to plan to begin taking action on larger, long-term trends that affect all of us. For example, there is an aging population in Vermont, so how do we get young people to want to stay here and join the workforce here?” Kiess said. “There are shrinking incomes for most people, so how do we make sure our schools maintain high standards and that we have the services and businesses in town for a broad tax base?”
Kiess, who doubles as the town’s energy committee chairman, also feels that any town that adopts a town manager model is assuming a risk and essentially wagering that it will pay off.
“Myself, my neighbors, we are all concerned about whether or not it’s the right choice,” Kiess said. “It would be an immediate increase to our expenses, so as a town, do we get a return on our investment? Will the position pay for itself with the growth and development that we experience? What will the tradeoff be? I don’t know anyone in town who isn’t concerned about that.”
Thetford residents on Tuesday generally were aware of the upcoming Special Town Meeting and eager to learn more before deciding which way to vote. Rick Barrows, of Thetford Center, said he’d been expecting this question to arise eventually.
“I’m not surprised it popped up, because Norwich did it about 10 years ago, and we seem to be about 10 years behind Norwich,” said Barrows, a former selectman. “It looks like I have about a month to decide which way to lean. I would say in order for (hiring a town manager) to be the right decision, it would have to be the right person (hired).”
Frank Bonnett, an East Thetford resident and special education paraprofessional at Thetford Academy, was mowing his lawn on Route 113 Tuesday when he took a moment to discuss the matter.
“I would love to hear the reasoning behind it and get more information,” Bonnett said. “Right now, I would lean toward no. Taxes are already sky high, so how are we going to afford an $80,000-per-year town manager? I’m more concerned about the school bond getting passed every year.”
Others expressed a need for more efficiency and organization in town. Jennifer Eastman said for years she has noticed the slow rate in which necessary projects are accomplished. Thetford officials most recently have been busy with major road repairs, including to Route 132, after heavy storms in July 2017 caused widespread damage.
“I love Thetford, I’ve lived here all my life, but it could definitely use some improvements,” Eastman said. “We had a culvert washed out where I live, on Godfrey Road, a year ago and it still hasn’t been repaired. Everything seems to be a very slow process.”
The Special Town Meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Oct. 3 in the multipurpose room of Thetford Elementary School.
Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3225.