LONDONDERRY, Vt. – At the Londonderry Town Meeting, on Monday, March 2, Doug Friant was reappointed to the position of town moderator, and explained the rules of the meeting. State Rep. Chris Morrow then spoke on the legislature, stating that the three biggest topics are education, health care, and transportation budgets. He said the state health care budget just received $105 million from the federal government, which was directed mostly toward primary care and telehealth.
Article 3 was the election of town officials. James “Jim” Fleming was reappointed to the selectboard for a term of two years. Martha Dale did not run for reappointment to her seat, which carries a three-year term, and Friant and the audience thanked her for her service on the board with a round of applause. A nomination was made for Leanne Alexander, and another for Chad Stoddard. After a paper ballot vote 71-46, Alexander was congratulated for her election to the three-year seat to the selectboard, and she was welcomed to her seat at the table.
Allison Marino was reappointed as town clerk, Tina Labeau as treasurer, Marge Fish as lister, Maureen Cronin as cemetery commissioner, and Katherine Mosenthal as trustee of public funds.
Article 4 requested to see how much the town would vote for a general fund, which stood at $3,600,064.99. Part of this budget was reserved for an increase of $4,000 to use the Windham Regional Animal Control officer instead of a local officer.
A public comment shared with the audience that the town has $10 million in trust funds, which the town seemingly has no interest in trying to use to offset taxes or other funds and budgets. It was clarified that the trust funds are granted from individuals with specific uses in place. The trust fund is limited to use for schools, cemeteries, and libraries. The cemetery fund has in fact grown, but can also provide loans to the town. “It is not an asset to the town…we have written to attorneys on ways to use [the funds].”
The general fund budget was then passed, as was Article 5, for taxes to be paid to the treasurer on or before Oct. 1, 2026.
The town voted to appropriate the sum of $37,000 to Friends of the West River Trail, Grace Cottage Foundation, My Community Nurse program, Neighborhood Connections, Senior Solutions, SEVCA, The Collaborative, and West River Montessori School. An appropriation of $3,000, to be deposited into the emerald ash borer infestation reserve fund, was also passed.
Article 8 requested that $100,000 be added to the highway equipment reserve fund. Board member Taylor Prouty explained they had some “catching up” to do on some of the older equipment, and the fund would help keep a schedule for replacing equipment. Article 10 would appropriate $410,000 to the highway improvement reserve fund. Prouty noted these are separate funds, and stated the town is trying to keep up with the mileage of roads. With the challenges of significant increases in paving costs, “we can’t pave our roads fast enough” to keep up with the rotating schedule. Prouty said this year the goal is to pave roads end-to-end, as well as get culverts replaced. Articles 8 and 10 both passed.
The sum of $200,000, to be deposited into the town buildings reserve fund, was then discussed and passed. Labeau said the town is working on a plan for town hall upgrades, including heat, windows, and insulation. She confirmed that the fund is currently $232,000 in negative funds, but that they have a grant of $215,000 for the town hall weatherization projects, and the proposed $200,000 buildings reserve fund would help offset the remaining cost. Labeau noted they would likely have to borrow money to finish the town hall renovations.
The town voted to appropriate $20,000 to the Pingree Park reserve fund, which will go directly towards the replacement of the tennis courts.
Article 12 was approved, and appropriated $25,000 to the community economic improvement reserve fund. Selectboard Chair Tom Cavanagh said the town used about $4,000 of the funds to flood proof some buildings in the village. In the future, he would like to use these funds to match grant funding.
Article 14 presented the town with the choice to authorize a 1% local options tax on sales. The proceeds of the funds raised would be applied to the general fund revenue, to reduce the town’s municipal property tax rate. Labeau clarified this is for sales tax, and is separate from the meals and rooms tax that the town already has in place.
Tulloch made a presentation that outlined the local options tax. Londonderry would keep 75% of the revenue generated by the tax, and the state would get the other 25%. Anything that already has a 6% sales tax would get the 1% local options tax applied to the purchase. Nontaxable purchases would include drugs and medical supplies, food, clothing, gas, and vehicles. The amount of revenue that is generated from the local options tax would determine how much the property taxes would be offset, or what the lowered property tax rate would be.
Cavanagh confirmed this was voted on a few years ago, but was brought back to the town this year, as it could benefit everyone. Both locals and tourists would be contributing back to the town.
The town voted not to add the 1% local options tax.
There was a discussion on Article 13, to appropriate a sum not to exceed $81,000, to fund the salary of a general office manager position, which included full-time wages and benefits. Labeau and town administrator Aileen Tulloch explained that the assistant town clerk position would not be eliminated, but they were looking to add another full-time individual to the town office to assist all departments of the town. Duties may include helping with land records, digitizing zoning files, maintaining office supplies, and assisting all boards and committees with postings of agendas and minutes.
There was an overall concern with the cost of this new position. After multiple amendments were voted on, resident Melissa Brown motioned for the article to be postponed to a later date, after a detailed job description and better accounting of the position’s budget is presented to the town. The motion to postpone the vote passed.
Friant clarified, there will be another meeting and another vote. The town will reconvene on Monday, May 11, at 6 p.m., at the town hall. Those who attend the meeting will vote on Article 13, whether to appropriate $81,000 for a general office manager position.