Bellows Falls voters approve proposed budget for 2020

By PATRICK ADRIAN
[email protected]
BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. — Bellows Falls residents, by a majority voice vote, approved a $1.74 million operating budget for 2020 and an additional $30,000 for improvements and repairs to the fire and police building, at the annual village meeting last night.

Over 50 residents, congregated at the Bellows Falls Opera House to discuss next year’s budget, passed the proposed budget of $1,744,325, with $1,711,420 to be raised by taxes. The approved budget is a four percent increase of $70,105, from current year’s budget of $1,674,220. 

Voters also rejected a proposed amendment by resident Paul Reese to decrease the budget proposal by $100,000, by a paper ballot majority of 36 votes to 22. 

In presenting an argument for his amendment Reese cited the village’s police department budget as example. He said the police department’s budget is excessively high for a community with only 3,000 residents, and the department should not require two officers on duty on some weeknights. 

What particularly concerned Reese and other critics was that the police department comprises 69 percent of Bellows Falls operating budget. However, Village Manager Wendy Harrison noted during her presentation that the police department’s portion of that pie chart only increased after Bellows Falls residents voted to replace its full-time firefighters with on-call volunteers in 2017. 

In addition, resident and Director of Greater Falls Connections Laura Schairbaum pointed out the the police department’s actual budget increase in 2020 is only 1 percent, equivalent to $5,000, while the department generates revenues, as from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program. 

“I don’t see a problem passing the budget as is,” Schairbaum said before the amendment vote. “They bring in revenue and create a healthy community.” 

Notable increases in the 2020 budget include a 2-percent salary increase for all employees; $15,000 for deposits to pensions of 70 former and current employees; and $15,000 for a new information technology (IT) service contract. According to Municipal Manager Wendy Harrison’s report, the new IT contract costs more initially but she expects it to provide more dependable service than the previous provider. 

Residents also approved using $30,000 from the village’s fund balance to fund the second year of repairs to the village’s fire and police station, part of a three to five year repair project. Next year’s scheduled repairs include removing the chimney, which is pulling away from the structure, resulting in water leaking into the basement; and replacing the building’s boiler. The village board of trustees may consider at a future meeting whether to upgrade the heating system from oil to more cost-effective propane, though the trustees have not yet discussed it formally. 

Part two of the annual meeting continues today, when voters will elect candidates for the board of trustees. Four candidates are running for two trustee seats: Incumbents James McAuliffe and Stefan Golec, and two challengers, Colin James and James Mitchell. Village President Deborah Wright runs unopposed.