Educational Meeting
In Braintree
By Sandy Vondrasek Cooch

There was only one contested race, and budgets and appropriations all passed, but that doesn’t mean that Braintree hustled through its Town Meeting Tuesday.

The traditional floor meeting proved an educational and mostly good-humored affair that went from 10 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. On either side of a four-star buffet lunch there were ample opportunities to debate issues—whether, for example, Braintree should pay Randolph whatever it asks for fire services—and to hear reports, including an analysis on education issues by Supt. Brent Kay.

In addition to his overview of local budget trends and pressures, Supt. Kay voiced concerns about state policies and proposed legislation that are making, or could make, it difficult for schools to do their jobs.

Hurdles, he indicated, included the state Dept. of Education overriding schools’ decisions on how to provide special education services, and a proposed bill that would limit school budgets to set percentage increases. He made sure that Reps. Patsy French and Jim Hutchinson, who had addressed the crowd of 110 or so earlier in the day, stuck around for his talk.

French, in her earlier comments, had also criticized the idea of a budget cap, which she said would penalize lower spending schools more than higher spending ones.

Tuesday’s meeting opened with a tribute to residents who had died in the last year, including town Treasurer Steve Hislop.

Conflict of Interest?

In the only contested race of the day, Selectboard Chair Jocelyn Stohl overcame a challenge from Joe Bent, in a 68-36 vote. Conflict-of-interest questions were raised about both candidates. It was determined, however, that neither Stohl’s serving on the White River Valley Ambulance board, nor Bent’s being a school board member would preclude them from being a selectperson.

That discussion was the only time during the day that a big increase in Braintree’s WRVA assessment—up 46%, from $37,597 to $55,000—was ever mentioned.

Selectman George Gray noted that he and fellow board member Walt Palmer—and not just Stohl—had agreed to place WRVA’s per-capita assessment in the proposed general budget: "I have a hard time seeing what conflict there is," he said.

Stohl explained that when WRVA was set up by its eight member towns, selectboards were given authority to appoint a representative to the WRVA board. Stohl suggested that towns are "obligated" to pay whatever assessment is set, as the decisions of the WRVA representatives are "binding."

In other elections, former Town Clerk and Treasurer Janice Thresher was elected to a two-year term as town treasurer, filling the balance of Hislop’s unexpired term.

Her nomination was an on-off-on-again affair, as she at first declined the nomination because the amount budgeted for the job had been reduced in the proposed budget from $12,300 this year to $9000 in 2007. Also, Thresher pointed out that there was nothing in the budget for an outside audit, which she felt should be done.

In the end, Thresher was installed, on a unanimous voice vote, and the budget was later amended upwards—$3000 more for the treasurer and $6000 for an audit—before it was approved.

Budget Up 4%

The amended town and highway budget of $695,394 represents a 4.2%, or $28,640, increase over the current year.

The only line item in the budget that was seriously challenged was a reduction: The $42,433 budgeted for fire services was down almost 11% from the $48,600 budgeted for the current year.

For several years Braintree has been dickering with Randolph on how that assessment is set, and in 2005 the Braintree Selectboard took matters into its own hands and made the decision to pay Randolph $10,000 less than requested. (Half of that has since been paid and the balance was included in the amount budgeted for 2007, according to Selectman Gray.)

Last year, Braintree voters directed its selectboard to pay Randolph the full 2006 assessment, while negotiations on future assessments continued.

Several residents, including Joe Bent, said Tuesday they feared Braintree would lose fire protection if challenges continue. However, Stohl and Gray assured voters that they would not jeopardize the service, and that they were merely trying to make sure Braintree was fairly charged.

Gray, who is doing the negotiating, said there were reasons for Braintree to be assessed at less than 100% of its grand list, including its rural character and its lack of commercial development.

When the board was again urged to at least budget whatever Randolph requested, Stohl pointed out that Braintree has yet to receive the 2007 fire services contract from Randolph. In the end, the fire services figure was not changed.

Voters also okayed, after much discussion, a separate article for $5000 for repairs at Chandler Cultural Center.

Incumbents were consistently returned to office, including Cora Benoir, delinquent tax collector; Richard Bowen, lister; John Rose, first constable; and Laura Davidson, cemetery commissioner.

Only auditor Stephanie Barrett declined to serve again. There were no other volunteers, and the selectboard will find an appointee.

Townspeople agreed to set back by one month the date to collect taxes, after Lister Bowen explained the change would accommodate a change in how rebates are handled. Rebates will go to the towns and be deducted from taxes due, as opposed to being sent to individuals.

Legislators Comment

In his comments, Rep. Hutchinson stressed that money —and not just property taxes—is the big issue in Montpelier, due to unending needs and limited revenues. Hutchinson said he also realizes state budget cuts—for example for roads and bridges—can result in higher property taxes for the towns, who must then increase their outlays for highway maintenance.

Rep. French urged voters to consider the high collateral costs—in health care, social services, education, and corrections—of having children grow up in poverty.

School Meeting

Voters spent about 20 minutes listening to Supt. Kay’s talk and spent that much more questioning him about test results, poverty levels (62% of Braintree kids qualify for the free-and-reduced lunch program), and the federal No Child Left Behind law.

The balance of the school meeting was quickly dispatched by the waning crowd. Rick Klovdahl was reëlected to the school board and a $1.5-million budget, up just $193 from the current year, was okayed unanimously.

Two other money articles, to place $5000 in a bus replacement fund, and to place $10,774 in surplus funds from FY05-06 into a building maintenance fund, were also approved.

The road crew received a round of applause for heroic efforts during recent snow storms. Appreciation was also extended to the Hearth and Heath Club for organizing the lunch. New organizers will be needed next year, it was noted.

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