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RECIPE INSIDE! DECEMBER 9, 2021
WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
WWW.WILLISTONOBSERVER.COM
‘Something Rotten!’ was going on at CVU
OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY
The Minstrel (Frankie Fidler, right front) and the company open CVU’s production of ‘Something Rotten!’ with ‘Welcome to the Renaissance’ on Friday evening in Hinesburg. More photos on page 14.
Town budget proposal carries 18 percent tax increase Town administrators will be asking the average Williston property taxpayer for an additional $100-plus annually if the selectboard approves their budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year. Town Manager Erik Wells presented the proposal to the board Tuesday, beginning a series of budget discussions through mid-January, when the board is required to finalize a proposal to present for voter approval on Town Meeting Day, March 1. The proposed $13 million budget carries an increase in spending of nearly $1.5 million (13 percent) over the current fiscal year — a stark contrast to the budget voters approved last March for the current fiscal year, which had a $100,000 decrease in spending over the previous
year. The spending increase would result in an 18.4 percent increase in property taxes, according to Wells, with the tax rate jumping from 27 cents per $100 of property value to 32 cents. The increase would cost the owner of a median-priced Williston home (roughly $300,000) about $145 more annually. “We are going to be asking taxpayers for a big increase in their taxes,” board member Ted Kenney said. The spending increase is driven by the proposed addition of nine firefighters to the Williston Fire Department, as recommended by a recent staffing study. It also includes a new police dispatcher position, a recreation coordinator position and hiring capacity for the short-
staffed police department. New money is also needed for pay increases for union and non-union employees based on a cost-ofliving adjustment of roughly 3.5 percent, Wells said. The board has been discussing the possibility of adding an energy coordinator to town staff, but that position is not included in Wells’ initial proposal. It may be added in upcoming budget discussions. Board members Jeff Fehrs and Greta D’Agostino both said that the energy coordinator position — which would work with the newly formed town energy committee to implement greenhouse gas-reducing and renewable energy-producing strategies — is as important as additional firefighters. — Jason Starr
Selectboard mandates masks indoors BY JASON STARR Observer staff
With temporary authority bestowed by the Vermont Legislature in November, the Williston Selectboard adopted a townwide mask mandate on Tuesday, enabling fines for people who don’t cover their mouth and nose in public indoor places. The unanimous decision came after neighboring municipalities like Essex, Burlington and South Burlington enacted similar ordinances in an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19, while other communities, like Hinesburg and Huntington, have declined the authority.
Williston’s law took effect Tuesday and will remain in effect for 45 days, at which time the board can consider extending it in 30-day increments through April. The board carved out exceptions for children under age 2, people with disabilities that prevent them from safely wearing a mask, and people while eating or drinking in a restaurant, as recommended by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. The board added exemptions for places of worship and for people temporarily removing their masks to communicate with a group of people — the see MASKS page 5
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