By GLYNIS HART
[email protected]
NEWPORT – On Tuesday night the Sullivan County delegation approved the county budget for fiscal year 2019, with the total budget coming to over $1 million more than last year, at $33,210,127. The budget included at 1.61 percent increase in the property tax levy, requiring and additional $216,959 from tax payers.
Various delegates kicked around the $1 million difference, which almost matched a planned expenditure on the architects’ fees and design work to renovate the Stearns (nursing home) and Sanders (county offices) buildings at the county complex in Unity. The budget also included over $1 million to be appropriated from the fund balance.
“Although none of us like to have tax increases, there are times when with the utmost frugality it is not possible to avoid them,” said Jim Grenier (R-District 7), who served as vice chair of the executive finance committee. Grenier then moved to adopt the budget.
Delegate Steven Smith (R-District 11) proposed an amendment to use more of the fund balance to avoid raising taxes. Instead of raising the $216,959 from taxes, Smith said it could be taken from the fund balance.
The budget included a $1.1 million draft on the fund balance, almost $700,000 more than was taken last year.
Grenier responded that continually taking from the fund balance could lead the county into trouble. Pointing at the figures from earlier years, Grenier referred to 2012 through 2015.
“Very gleefully, we level-funded then. We got some extra money and used it to lower taxes,” he said. However, expenditures and income need to stay in balance, he explained, so the county has on hand more money than it spends. “At some point farther on [this cut] will accumulate and there will be a substantial increase in taxes.
“For those of you who may be around when the proverbial you-know-what hits the fan, that will be your problem, not mine,” said Grenier, who is not running for re-election.
Smith’s amendment was defeated 8-3.
Smith continued to go after the architects’ fees. He said he has construction experience and “One million dollars is a big ticket item for a plan and some blueprints.
Skip Rollins (R- Newport) also objected to the architects’ design fees: “If we throw out a million they’re going to want a million. To me, that’s extremely high.”
Biddy Irwin (D- District 6) who was the clerk on the finance committee, said, “A million dollars to design a $24 million project is not out of line.”
Irwin pointed out that the county hasn’t received a bid on it and the figure is not locked in. “We’re essentially parking this money, hoping to have it come in for less.”
Francis Gauthier (R- District 3) offered an amendment to cut the $1 million in half.
Raymond Gagnon, (D-District 5) who also served on the finance committee, responded, “The county commissioners and county manager have spent an awful lot of time looking at how to maximize the property, and I think they’ve made a good decision. You haven’t been to any meetings, you haven’t seen any presentations, you haven’t been engaged in the process at all.
“For you to make an eleventh-hour second-guess is inappropriate,” said Gagnon.
“Just because people aren’t here doesn’t mean they can’t keep track,” said Gauthier.
Grenier said, “If we appropriate less than it costs, then we haven’t done our job. It could very well be true it can be done for less, and then we’ll have money left over.”
Gauthier’s amendment was defeated 8-3.
The budget vote went the same way, with Rollins, Smith, and Gauthier voting no. Delegates John Cloutier, Jim Grenier, Biddy Irwin, Sue Gottling, Lee Oxenham, Sue Gottling, /Tom Laware, and Ray Gagnon voted for the budget, which passed.
Closing the meeting, Cloutier thanked Grenier and Gagnon, who will not be running again, for their service to the county.
Speaking of Grenier, Cloutier said he will miss working with him. “Even though you’re of the opposite party, you’ve always been a sensible person. I’ve appreciated your help.”
Gagnon, he noted, “was my eighth-grade catechism teacher,” so the two men know each other quite well.
“I will miss you [both] and wish you well in your future endeavors,” he said. After thanking NCTV for filming the meeting, and Sugar River Valley Technical Center for hosting it, he moved to adjourn.
That motion passed unanimously.
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