WILTON — The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday unanimously approved the warrant, including budget recommendations, for the June 16 town meeting.
The warrant includes additional articles seeking residents’ input on waste disposal.
With a total of $260,520 recommended by the board and Finance Committee for operation of the transfer station and recycling, the board decided the town meeting was a good place for a discussion on how to handle solid waste.
They included an article which asks residents if they want to continue as they are, contract with a private entity and pay a fee per bag for household trash, as Farmington does, or enforce mandatory recycling.
Another article will ask voters if municipal officers should set a fee for disposing of construction debris.
The amount of garbage is down and recycling is up at the transfer station, Town Manager Rhonda Irish said. Construction debris was up 100 tons this year, and the town does not charge for it.
Although a recycling ordinance adopted last year gives the board the authority to set mandatory recycling and fees, the board wanted to find out what people want.
It will give officials more direction for next year, Selectman Tom Saviello said.
Warrant articles amount to $2,979,535, as recommended by the board, and $2,995,885, as recommended by the Finance Committee.
Revenues reduce the amount to be raised from taxes to $1,783,902, the same amount raised last year, as recommended by the board. The committee recommends $1,897,935.
Revenues expected from town business amount to $942,950. Selectmen recommend taking $252,683 from the surplus fund balance, and the Finance Committee recommends taking $155,000.
The board and committee recommendations on most expenditures are the same.
They differ on an article for the Town Office parking lot. The board recommends $10,000 while the committee has no recommendation.
Selectmen recommend $120,707 for the Fire Department; the committee, $130,707. Last year, voters approved $102,406 for the department.
The board recommends $15,000 for cemetery operation and the committee, $29,650.
The committee recommends a $500 donation to the Red Cross, while the board made no recommendation.
For street lights, the board recommends $33,700; the committee, $34,900.
Both panels recommend $480,950 for the Police Department, up from $442,550 approved last June, and $795,366 for the Highway Department, down from $804,311 approved last year.
Voters will decide on articles and budget amounts at the town meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 16, at Academy Hill School. Elections will be held June 10.
abryant@sunjournal.com
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