ENOSBURGH/RICHFORD VOTERS SET FOR MEETING TONIGHT
By Gregory J. Lamoureux
County Courier
RICHFORD: For the first time since the merger was set, voters from the towns of Enosburgh and Richford will gather for their regularly scheduled annual meeting.
The meeting is scheduled for 7 pm tonight, at the Richford High School, and although there will be no voting on the budget until Town Meeting day, it will be a chance for voters to ask questions to the board about the budget and issues with the School District.
The budget that is being proposed to voters comes in at $18,544,052. That represents an increase in spending of about 5%, over last year’s budget.
According to Board Chair, Polly Rico, most of the increase in spending came down to a 13% increase in health care costs for the district.
Part of the increase of $892,095 is due to the addition of a social worker, which added to the payroll end of the budget, Rico said.
Enosburg is slated to see an increase of about 6% in their property taxes for school if the budget is passed and the Legislature doesn’t modify the funding formula. Richford’s school taxes will decrease by about one-third of a percent.
The difference between what the two town pays comes down to property tax values and how they have changed over the last year.
Voters tonight will be asked to elect a Moderator, Clerk, and Treasurer for the district. The other business can be discussed, but not voted on until Town Meeting day, where they will be decided by Australian Ballot.
Australian Ballot items include the election of four school directors, two from each town. It will also include the budget, and a modification to the articles of agreement between Enosburgh and Richford for the district.
In this particular case, the amendment to the articles of agreement would prevent the district from removing a grade in any of the schools without the approval of at least 2/3 of the board, as well as a majority vote from the town in which it affects.
For instance, if the sixth grade in one of the schools had drastically declining enrolment, the board could not make the decision to bus the students to the other town in order to cut down on having a sixth grade in two different towns- that is not unless voters and the board approved such a move.
Polls for the Australian Ballot will be open from 10 am to 7 pm on Town Meeting Day, Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at each town’s polling place. For Richford residents that will be the Town Hall. For Enosburgh residents, it will take place at the Enosburg Falls High School Auditorium.
