Westminster approves budgets Increases police coverage funds

BY SUSAN S MALLHEER Brattleboro Reformer

WESTMINSTER - Residents dug out from the snow and dug into their pockets Saturday.

A late season storm dumped upwards of a foot of heavy wet snow across Southern Vermont Friday night into Saturday, but that didn't deter residents from attending Town Meeting Saturday morning, where they approved the school and town budgets, and even doubled the budget toward contracted police coverage for the largely rural town.

About 70 residents turned out for the meeting, which was the first indoor Town Meeting since the pandemic. The snowstorm did cancel Westminster's traditional extensive lunch, as well as day care.

Voters approved a $5.1 million school budget, and various spending plans for the school's large surpluses from previous years.

Coming in for discussion was a plan to use close to $770,000 from the two years' surpluses toward energy efficiency and safety upgrades at the Westminster Center School. Voters rejected a suggestion that the school board come back to voters for final approval of a proposed solar installation at the school, tentatively set to be installed on the roof.

Westminster School Board Chairwoman Cheryl Charles said that while spending is up 11.5 percent, the impact on the tax rate would be much

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less, thanks to the surpluses, which were a result of poor estimates on health insurance and tuition payments by the Windham Northeast Supervisory Union's business manager, since departed.

She said the big increases are due to the statewide health insurance plan for teachers, and a big increase in tuition charged for Bellows Falls Middle School, where most of the town's 7th and 8th graders go.

The school needs safety and security upgrades, said School Director Tina Biolsi.

Voters also approved the $2.6 million town budget, and even doubled the amount of money the Select Board had set aside for police coverage - originally targeted for the Windham County Sheriff's Department.

The most controversial item on the warning and during the 3 1/2 hour meeting was the police coverage.

Following an amendment from Select Board member Craig Allen, townspeople deleted the five words in the article that linked the $60,000 to the sheriff's department.

And then, after lengthy discussion, they doubled the amount of money for police coverage - from $60,000 to $120,000.

Who will get that money remains to be seen. Chairman Josh Perry said the board has met with the Bellows Falls Municipal Manager about potential contracting with the Bellows Falls Village Police Department.

The sheriff's department came in for an avalanche of complaints Saturday morning from town officials, and no one from the department was on hand to answer questions.

Perry said that last year the board cut its payments to the sheriff's department from $90,000 to $60,000 because of a lack of response and activity.

Alison Bigwood, the interim town manager, said that when she called the sheriff's department about an issue, she was told no one was available.

Mark Anderson, the Wind-ham County sheriff, reached after the meeting, said he was on National Guard duty this weekend and that's why he wasn't at the Westminster town meeting.

"I'd disagree with the board's perspective on 'doing nothing.' Our call volume increased approximately 10 percent in Westminster this year despite our contract being reduced 25 percent from last year. It's clear the select board expects more services than the 30 hours per week they contracted for," he wrote in an email.

"I broadly endorse regionalized policing initiatives and hope the town finds a provider, whether my office or another, who can fit their needs," he said.

During the meeting, some people pointed out that the town of Putney just recently signed a contract with the sheriff's department for $104,000 a year, far above the $60,000 Westminster wanted to spend on policing. At one point, Putney and Westminster were sharing a deputy from the sheriff's department.

Voters will decide several issues during all-day balloting on Tuesday at the fire station, including two, $2 million bond issues for projects at Bellows Falls Union High School.

Contact Susan Smallheer@reformer.com.