HARTFORD — About a dozen people, most of them town officials, attended Thursday night’s hearing on the annual town meeting warrant.
The 58 articles include budget requests totaling $2.12 million. This year’s budget was $2 million.
Selectmen and the Budget Committee fielded questions Thursday from former road commissioner Bim McNeil.
“When I was (road commissioner), paving was one budget and other work was on a different budget,” he said. The way spending proposals are presented now, “you don’t know where the money is going.”
Budget Committee and Road Committee member Dan Maddox read McNeil the list of roads that have work planned for next year.
McNeil said they should work on roads that were used the most.
Maddox said if they only did those roads, the others would fall into disrepair and be harder and more expensive to fix. That’s why they had a plan to keep all roads up to par and the projects could be completed, he said.
McNeil questioned having a bid process for road work, saying local people can’t bid on large jobs.
Maddox said the Bidding Committee would have one selectman, one Road Committee member and the road commissioner. Leslie Boness, who serves on the Road and Budget committees, said local people could get together and put in a bid.
“I would gladly pay higher taxes to have the roads in better shape and I am one of the lowest-income people in town,” Arthur Harvey said.
McNeil also questioned an article to put money in a reserve account for summer roads.
“Why do people have to pay to raise money that won’t be used for some time?” he asked.
Selectman Chairman Lee Holman asked McNeil if it was not better to have money put aside in case a flood washed away a bridge, or there was some other emergency.
If there was no reserve, “Then we would have to get a loan to pay for a new bridge. The reserve assures that we will have money in place,” she said.
Maddox compared the road reserve to the revaluation reserve fund. The property revaluation will cost about $90,000 and will be due in a couple of years.
Town Clerk Lianne Bedard said there is about $70,000 in that account now, so when it’s time for the revaluation the money will be there.
McNeil didn’t agree that the town should be collecting taxes to pay for items not immediately needed.
Holman told McNeil it was obvious they were not in agreement, but thanked him for expressing his concerns.
“I have said all I wanted to say. I just wanted you to know my opinions on these articles. I’ve spoken my piece,” McNeil said.
There was little or no discussion from other residents on the articles.
The annual town meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 14, at the Town Hall.
Town elections will be held from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 10, at the Town Hall. Selectman John Plumley is being challenged by Cathy Lowe.
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