The budget that has been proposed by the Selectboard for consideration by the voters at Town Meeting in March will reduce tax obligations by $38,460 according to the report of Nanci Allard, Town Manager.

She stated in the report that this was accomplished by using surplus funds from last year of $128,450 and eliminating two full time positions.

One position being eliminated is a currently unfilled police officer position and the second is in the accounting office.

In Article 5 of the Warning, the voters will be asked to approve the elimination of the delinquent tax collector’s position which has been filled by Laurie Baroffio for the last several years.

If the voters approve elimination of the position, it will return approximately $20,000 to the tax rolls according to the Town Manager’s Report.

Currently, Ms. Baroffio is personally paid a percentage of the monies obtained from the collection of delinquent taxes. If the position is eliminated, then that money would remain in the general fund. That amount was about $20,000 last year.

Should the town accept elimination of the delinquent tax collector’s position, the Selectboard would most likely appoint the town manager to perform those duties, said Nanci Allard.

The report states that The Capital Improvement Plan, that is monies for the police and fire department, recreation and cemeteries as well as the ambulance service and other general fund expenses are down this year by $94,650.

However, money to operate the town roads and streets will increase by 16.7 per cent or $119,010. This is due in part to a reallocation of funding resulting from the merger of the village and town roads and because there was no operating surplus from last year.

Also, during the last year, the town developed a long-range road improvement program (RSMS-Road Surface Management System).

The Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission sponsored the time for a consultant to work with Highway Superintendent William Lyon, Highway Foreman Peter G. Demasi and Highway Operator Chris Alger.

The software is designed to recommend treatment as well as assign costs for each road and street.

Each road was surveyed for current conditions then that information was put into the system software to allow reports to be generated showing repair and maintenance recommendations.

Ms. Allard’s report states that the system is not perfect but is a guide which management will be able to use to schedule when work is going to be necessary and when work can be accomplished on each road in the town.

Last year, the Selectboard agreed to spend up to $58,000 over and above what the voters approved at last year’s town meeting to contract plowing and sanding on lesser traveled roads, some with only one and two homes along those roads.

Ms. Allard stated in her report that the program seems to be working well. However, a full evaluation of this new program will not be available until the winter is over.

The budget for next year has reduced the amount that will be spent for plowing and sanding these roads from this year’s $58,000 to $29,000.

She also said in the report that the cost to improve the town roads will require an expenditure of approximately $4.8 million over the next ten years.

She noted that in order to accomplish all necessary improvements, the town most likely will have to borrow some of that amount.

Presently, the town is seeking to borrow $300,000 in the form of a bond issue to get the road improvement program underway.

The program, which will be outlined completely in the Town Report, shows how the funding program is intended to work over the next ten years with a combination of current funding and borrowing.

Ms. Allard believes that if the Selectboard follows the plan as currently developed, in time the Town will be caught up and annual appropriations should sustain road maintenance without more borrowing.

Taxes in support of the Village Highway Department will increase by $16,980.