PLYMOUTH, Vt. – The Plymouth Town Informational Meeting was held Monday, March 4. Voting by Australian ballot will take place Tuesday, March 5, from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., on Article 1 to elect town officers for the ensuing years, including moderator, selectboard member, lister, trustee of public funds, cemetery commissioner, and constables. The remaining articles were voted on from the floor at the informational meeting.
Article 2, to allocate funds in the amount of $13,491 to a number of human services, was passed.
Article 3 was to see if the voters would raise $1,621,159 in taxes to pay the town’s estimated expenses of $1,913,409. Selectboard Chair Jay Kullman made a presentation on the budget.
The general fund for the town has a balance of $982,298. Regular expenses, at almost $1 million, included the building renovation fund, building maintenance, the town’s reappraisal, office and highway equipment, and more. The town needed to replace a damaged truck after a recent accident, and there was an additional $2 million in unexpected flood damage expenses. Kullman explained the town used actual cash from general funds for what they could, and borrowed money at a low rate of 1.3% to keep cash flow and for other expenditures. As the town is reimbursed from the state and FEMA, the funds will go back to the accounts that were borrowed from, and general accounts will start to be replenished. “We’re really grateful we had reserve fund balances,” Kullman said.
Margo Marrone asked if the selectboard could have a discussion on town budgets at a regular meeting prior to Town Meeting next year, so there is more time for questions. Carol Goodwin voiced her concern that taxes are going up by almost 30%, “that’s enormous,” she said, asking where the town might be able to pull back. “You guys have done a spectacular job,” Goodwin continued, “but I’m terrified.”
Kullman explained they try to keep operating expenses tight. “We tend to over budget and under spend,” Kullman said, and that money doesn’t go away; whatever isn’t spent goes back into the general fund, and reserve accounts continue to grow for unexpected expenses.
Selectboard member Keith Cappellini added that if you look at their everyday budget, the cost of general services, such as equipment maintenance and repairs, has gone up by about 20%. The town isn’t doing anything different, “it’s just the cost of inflation.”
Rick Martin, owner of the Plymouth Country Store and Chloe’s Market, thanked the town for welcoming him, and said business is “booming.” He’s looking to make Plymouth his primary residence, but added that if taxes continue to go up, he would not be able to stay in business. His employees are having trouble finding housing, can’t afford the taxes, and he’ll end up losing employees as they can’t stay in town. “You’ve got to get this tax rate down…it’s going to kill people.”
Kullman sympathized, adding that he does not want to have to borrow again. They borrowed for the town building, and noted they need a grader soon, and Kullman doesn’t want to have to borrow for that or any other upcoming or unexpected expenses. A homeowner with a value of $300,000 would notice around a $75 increase, he stated.
Goodwin then made a motion to amend Article 3 to reduce the budget by $100,000. Five voters were in favor, with a majority of the room voting opposed to the amendment. Article 3 then passed to raise $1,621,159 in taxes.
Article 4 was passed to establish a bridge reserve fund to be used to repair and reconstruct bridges, to be funded annually by the remaining and unused balance of the annual bridge repair account. Tina Fletcher confirmed with the board that would also include converting culverts to bridges.
Article 5 was to see if voters would renew the fixed salaries for the selectboard members at $600 annually. Karen Evans, justice of the peace, made a motion to amend the salaries to $1,000 each.
Michelle Pingree, lister, made a motion to amend the amendment to raise each annual salary to $1,600. “I will say the selectboard go above and beyond,” answering questions and solving problems. “We do not have a town manager,” Pingree stated, saying they each do the work of more than just a selectboard member. She added that each board member in Ludlow gets $1,600, and their town manager makes six figures. “They are doing a great job and should be compensated for what they do,” Pingree concluded.
Though it is a large increase in salary, it won’t make a big difference to the town budget, and the town moderator Thomas Harris ruled the motion as germane. The amended article passed. Kullman thanked the voters, “We appreciate the sentiment and support.”
Article 6, to exempt the property owned by Bethany Birches Camp Inc. from the educational portion of property taxes for the period of five years, produced some discussion and concern.
Brandon Bergey, executive director of the camp, said, “A yes vote would mean no changes to your tax bill.” It works out to be an extra $16 per $200,000 of property value. He added that the town reaps additional benefits by giving this tax exemption, including discounts to Plymouth residents on children’s programs and property rentals, and free use of the property for town events. “I don’t know if that adds up to $19,000 a year, but I think it could…We do care about affordability like the rest of this room.” Bergey said if taxes go up by 30%, “your $16 is going to go up by 30%…I think.”
By a very close margin, Article 6 had to be voted twice, and passed.
Article 7, to collect taxes on Sept. 1, 2024, and Feb. 1, 2025, and Article 8, to authorize the selectboard to transact other legal business, were passed.
Kullman then made a special announcement thanking Elaine Pauley for eight years of service as clerk, treasurer, tax collector, and delinquent tax collector, and for stepping in wherever she was needed. He presented her with a Vermont Public Service Award signed by the secretary of state.
Pauley thanked Kullman, and said it was “a group effort of everyone in this building.”
Cappellini added, “Everyone should thank Elaine on their way out…the town literally wouldn’t run without her here.”
Voting results will be printed in next week’s edition of The Vermont Journal.