By Lisa Loomis, Susie Conrad, and Annemarie Furey
Voters passed budgets, including the school budget, elected officials, and conducted town business during Town Meeting on March 4 and – very importantly – in Warren announced winners of a Bake Off that was held by the Warren Library. See details below.
The Harwood Unified Union School District budget passed 2,119 to 871 and an article adding $500,000 to the district’s reserve fund passed 2,427 to 536.
“While we are happy for this win, it still means that we are reducing positions in our school district and throughout public schools in Vermont so it is not an overwhelming win in my opinion,” Superintendent Dr. Mike Leichliter said.
REC DISTRICT
Voters in Warren, Waitsfield and Fayston voted to change the charter for the Mad River Valley Recreation District to allow Moretown to join as a half member. The three-town vote was 821 yes to 114 no and the Moretown voted 311 yes to 102 no. Moretown will join the district starting in 2026.
WARREN
Warren voters held their meeting in the afternoon and heard a presentation about the town’s plans for a new town garage that garnered lively discussion. The select board will hold two open houses for people to visit the current town garage space on March 13 and 22 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Part of that discussion includes details about how the current town garage is unsafe and unworkable with water running down walls, mold, congestion during school hours and equipment jammed in higgledy-piggledy. During the discussion, select board members shut down suggestions that there were residual legal issues preventing the town from building a new town garage on land it owns off Vaughn Brown Road.
Warren taxpayers approved a FY2025 budget of $4,820,059, up 8.07% from last year’s actual spending of $4,535,933 and approved budget of $4,431.071. Warren voters approved $2,000 for Mad River Valley Arts.
In the much-anticipated Warren Library Bake Off, held in honor of the library’s 125th anniversary Jamie and Molly Carpenter won in the youth category for their Brown Butter Salted Maple Blondies. Carolyn Adams won in the adult category for her Cherry Almond Cheesecake with Almond Crumble. Shannon and Rad Konvicka won best in theme for their "Blueberries for Sal" – Rustic Blueberry Galette w/Lemon Cream and Blueberry Muffins.
Warren Library director Marie Schmukal reported that winners received a commemorative mug from the library’s 125th celebration as well as ribbons and “glory.”
FAYSTON
Fayston voters passed a budget of $1,843,877.08 after a review of all line items. During the meeting there was discussion about the fact that federal FEMA funds are needed to pay for road/bridge/culvert repairs needed after 2023 and 2024 flooding. That money has not yet been received.
Fayston is the only town in the HUUSD school district that is facing a second year of two-digit education tax increases due to its Common Level of Appraisal (CLA). Last year ed taxes rose 14% in Fayston and will rise another 10% this year.
Those present at Town Meeting learned that the town’s next reappraisal will start in 2027 and will cost $110,000. Reappraisals reset a town’s CLA to 100% or more, which reduces the tax rate, but not necessarily the bill. The listers anticipate that property values will double.
WAITSFIELD
Waitsfield voters approved a $2,795,116 budget approved by a voice vote this week after discussion about the impact of potential federal funding cuts, entreaties that the town take over paving private roads in Irasville (select board chair Christine Parisi pointed out that it’s difficult enough for the town to manage all of its own roads), and questions about when Waitsfield will undertake a town-wide reappraisal.
Waitsfield voters queried state representatives Candice White (D-Waitsfield) and Dara Torre (D-Moretown) about current plans to close the Mad River Valley Health Center while select board member Fred Messer asks why the Legislature can’t do something about the Green Mountain Care Board orders that CVMC cites as the reason the local health care center needs to close.
“The Legislature created the Green Mountain Care Board, can’t the Legislature do something?” Messer asked.
State reps were asked about legislators creating a specific second home tax to ease education funding taxes and were told it is being considered. (Act 60/68 et al were intended to create a higher tax rate for non-residential properties but have never done that).
Town voters passed reserve funds for paving and town garage and lowered the proposed amount of new spending for Mad River Valley Arts from $2,500 to $2,000 and then to $1,000 before passing that article.
Waitsfield voters elected David Babbott-Klein to the select board and re-elected Larissa Ursprung to a seat she had been appointed to. Bobbi Rood was re-elected to the HUUSD board.
MORETOWN
Moretown voters passed a $1.9 million budget which was up 12.9% from the prior year, a roughly $212,000 increase. Voters in Moretown re-elected Donny Wexler to the select board, as well as Michael Brown and Tom Martin.
DUXBURY
Duxbury votes approved a town budget of $1,311,655 at Town Meeting this week and approved adding $125,000 to the town’s capital reserve fund and separately, add another $210,000 to the fund. Voters elected Mari Pratt to a one-year seat on the select board, leaving a second one-year seat open. There were no candidates and no write-in received enough votes to fill a three-year seat on the select board. Similarly, there were no candidates and no one received enough votes to fill one of Duxbury’s two seats on the HUUSD board.
