TUNBRIDGE — The 166 registered voters at Town Meeting easily approved all articles before lunch.
“I’ve been to a lot of Town Meetings, but I’ve never finished one before noon before,” said longtime Town Moderator Euclid Farnham, who was elected to his 32nd term.
The proposed $602,365 general fund budget — with $337,455 to be raised by taxes — passed by voice vote after little discussion. The budget increased 2.8 percent over the previous fiscal year.
Helen O’Donnell, a former town clerk, commended Town Clerk Betsy Sponable for finding shelving for the town offices at a price well below the original $7,000 price estimate. O’Donnell then proposed a reduction to the town clerk budget to reflect that change.
Sponable pointed out that the town needs to save money for a vote tabulator, which the state mandates if there are more than 1,000 voters.
“By the time the next election rolls around, we will need a tabulator machine,” Sponable said.
The $889,845 highway budget — an increase of 6.6 percent — also passed. The amount to be raised in taxes was $769,445.
“The road crew has had an awfully busy winter,” Selectman John O’Brien said.
Selectboard Chairman Gary Mullen was re-elected to another term on the Selectboard.
The surplus will be split four ways, going toward the capital improvement fund, the reserve fund, the bridge fund and a reduction in taxes for the coming fiscal year.
Former state Rep. Sarah Buxton made a motion to increase money for nonprofit organization Orange County Parent Child Center to $2,780 instead of the $1,000 proposed in the warning. Having organizations such as the parent-child center will help the state attract and keep families in the region, Buxton said.
“It isn’t that much money,” Buxton said. “I know more than anything this is symbolic.”
The increased funding for the center passed by voice vote.
Voters denied funding requests from the Public Health Council of the Upper Valley and the Vermont Rural Fire Protection Task Force after no one was present to speak for the proposals.
While not specifically noted in an article on the warrant, one topic on voters’ minds that came up multiple times was Vermont’s aging population and what it means for Tunbridge and other towns in the region.
Tunbridge is part of the First Branch Unified School District, along with Chelsea. Voters in the two towns on Monday night approved the proposed a $6.7 million budget that equates to education spending of $17,317 per equalized pupil, a 3 percent increase from the current school year.
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
