Important Budget Meetings This Monday and Tuesday
by Nancy Wood,
January 22, 2012.....

The CVU and CCS School Boards and the Charlotte Selectboard will approve proposed budgets for Fiscal Year 2013 at meetings this week. Public input is encouraged during these final meetings:

SELECTBOARD: Monday, January 23, Town Hall, 7 p.m. public comment, 8 p.m. discussion and expected final votes on a $2.8 million Town budget and articles for the warning for Town Meeting. The board has changed its position on how to present the $77,000 Ferry Road sidewalk proposal since last week’s meeting – it is a separate article for discussion and approval on the new draft warning. The current budget proposal includes special funds of $60,000 for repairs and maintenance on town buildings, $180,000 for the Fire and Rescue Capital Fund (towards a new ambulance two years from now), $30,000 for Affordable Housing Trust Fund, $0 for the Conservation Fund and $5,000 for the Trails Fund. With higher revenues, primarily from increased rents at Thompson’s Point, the estimated tax rate for the Town would be $0.1349, including for the sidewalk – a reduction of 3 cents from current year. The agenda and drafts of budget and warning can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/zKIdnI. Additional details about the sidewalk proposal are on our website at www.thecharlottenews.org.

CVU School Board: Monday, January 23, CVU High School, Room 140/142: 6 p.m.

CCS School Board: Tuesday, January 24, CCS library, 6:30 p.m. – Final FY 13 budget meeting and public hearing. After the public hearing, the board will vote on the articles to be placed on the March ballot. At the last meeting on January 10, the board discussed various options called “tiers” to come up with a bottom line. The tiers are the administration’s prioritized recommendations for increases and cuts. To view the video of that meeting, go to www.thecharlottenews.org and click on “CCS School Board Meetings” in the left menu. According to School Board Chair Lynne Jaunich, the board is currently considering a $6,956,915 budget that after revenues will result in net education spending of $6,068,722 an increase of less than one percent over current year. The estimated homestead education tax rate would be $0.9378, an increase of 2.2%.