Art by Gary Blomgren
Volume 34 Issue 1
Winter ~ 2024
Free • Since 1990
Budget Increases for FY2024 Explained
“What’s the Story with the New Fire Truck?”
By Todd Davidson
By Dan Ridlehoover
for the Selectboard
WDFD Vice President
Photo by Roger Turner
The selectboard voted on the proposed municipal budget on January Residents may be happy to know that, after much town-wide 24th at our scheduled meeting. We spent a lot of time trying to balance discussion throughout last year, the Town of Dummerston has signed the needs of the town against keeping the municipal portion of our a contract for a new fire truck and we are in the queue, expecting a tax bills as low as possible. Bearing in mind that our municipal needs 2025 delivery. account for about 19% of our overall tax bill, an increase in taxes Deciding whether or not to levy taxes on ourselves to purchase required isn’t measured against the entire bill; the other 81% of our a new fire truck is no small decision for a town our size, given the total bill is determined by significant costs. While taxes required to support previous truck purchases the schools. have always garnered The selectboard has significant debate, the posted our working discussions this year led us as an organization to documents on the town homepage throughout seek to actively improve the budgeting process, our communications and weekly meetings with town residents. We continued to alter the appreciate that many resimunicipal rates. From the dents do not feel that they beginning it was clear that have the background or the rate was going to rise, information they needed but where it would end up to be able to confidently was an open question. A cast their vote. While the few driving forces were purchase did eventually against us from the start. pass by a narrow margin, First, last year the town our biggest take away was only contributed, through that we needed to change By Cindy Jerome taxes, $25,000 to the the way in which we Town Moderator Capital Fund. The Capital shared information with Fund is used to provide the town’s residents. large purchases over ten Following the June vote, Mark your calendars! In-person town meeting returns on Tuesday, March 5 at 10 years, most of which are a.m. at the Dummerston School. As your town moderator, I hope to see the gym/ WDVFD worked with the heavy equipment items cafeteria packed with townsfolk, ready to weigh in on the articles in the town report, selectboard to discuss allfor the highway depart- vote for town officers, and enjoy with your neighbors the lunch prepared by Larry things budgets - expenses, ment (graders, trucks, Lynch, Sallie Mae, and the Grange crew. planning, accountability, mowers, etc.). The selectIn this issue of the Views you’ll find articles that inform voters about issues of a n d t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p board looks to the future concern. Please read them before town meeting. It will help us all to work together between the fire departand has a plan to main- to make the best decisions for our town. Even with this information, we won’t all ment and the town. As a tain the fund at a level agree on the best path forward. But, as we say at the opening of town meeting every front-of-mind topic, we allowing for the purchase year, “Let us remember that our neighbors with whom we disagree are good people discussed our capital continued on page 2 with hopes and dreams as true and as high as ours.” continued on page 18
In-Person Town Meeting Returns!