By Curt Peterson
Killington voters will complete their 2022 Town Meeting Australian ballot voting process on March 1.
The traditional Town Meeting information session will take place Monday, Feb. 28 in the new Public Services Facility at 800 Killington Road, beginning at 7 p.m. and via Zoom. The link will be posted on the town website a couple of hours before the meeting.
Total expenditures for the 2023 budget is $5,946,433, of which $4,339,845 will be covered by property taxes.
A total of $69,253 in 2020 surplus will be carried over and applied, and $1,606,588 will come from “estimated non-property tax revenue.”
The 2021 town report says estimated expenses to be covered by property taxes increased $73,000 over FY2022’s $4,261,501, which will add $.0096 (nearly a penny) to the estimated fiscal year 2023 property tax rate.
The final tentative rate is $.5480 per $100 of assessed property value. This translates to $2,740 in municipal tax on a home assessed at $500,000. The education tax is in addition to the municipal tax.
Select Board member Jim Haff said it is usually June before the final tax rate is announced by the state, and could be affected by significant rises in property prices (CLA), how the state applies its surplus in the education fund and the total increase in education budgets.
Voters will also elect a moderator (1 year), one selectperson (3 years), a treasurer (3 years), a lister (3 years), a cemetery commissioner (3 years) and a library trustee (5 years).
The public services building was built and is owned by the town, and houses the Killington Volunteer Fire Department, which no longer owns its own facility. To simplify the new arrangement, voters are asked to approve creating a town-owned fire department. Funding and expenses would remain basically the same, but bills would be paid directly by the town rather than with funds passing through KVFD.
The town offices at 2706 River Road will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to accommodate voters who have not chosen to mail in their ballots or deliver them earlier. Results are usually tabulated by 8 p.m. on voting day.
The Sherburne United Church of Christ pasta dinner, a tradition also modified by Covid precautions, will be available as a drive-through at the public services building from 4:30-6 p.m. before the information session. A $5 donation is suggested but not required.
