ROXBURY — Tax Collector and Treasurer Renee Hodsdon said Thursday the proposed municipal budget for 2023-24 is $670,109, nearly $100,000 more than the current budget.
The annual town meeting to vote on the annual town warrant will take place beginning at noon Sunday at the Town Office.
Board Chairman Tim Derouche said much of the proposed increase is related to an anticipated 20 percent increase in the cost of salt and sand, and to an anticipated increase in an upcoming three-year snow plowing contract to cover 13 1/2 miles of road.
He added that the contract is currently out to bid and they should know the price by the town meeting.
Among the 91 articles is one that asks to appropriate $5,000 for the future revaluation of the town. The current balance in that account is $27,400.
Derouche said the town did not know until recently that state valuation of the town is down to 78 percent, which means the revaluation should happen sooner than later. The last revaluation was completed in 2013 at a cost of $38,000. He expects the new valuation to cost around $50,000.
He said the salaries and stipends for the town include cost of living raises of 4 percent across the board.
Hodsdon said there is a group of people who would like to start a historical society in the town. To that end, there is an article to see if the town will raise $1,500 to support the startup cost of the society as a 501c3 nonprofit.
Derouche said there is an article asking that the town use $7,500 from the town’s allotment of the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to upgrade safety gear for the fire department. There are also articles to use ARPA monies of $2,827 to Med-Care capital improvement fund and $2,750 for updating the Town of Roxbury website.
There are also three articles asking to spend monies out of the Roxwind TIF account. One is $1,750 to the Slippery Sliders Snowmobile Club to maintain a snowmobile bridge. A second is $1,000 to the Roxbury ATV Riders to maintain their ATV trails. The third is $1,000 for administrative fees.
Townspeople will vote on two three-year terms.
One is for a selectman’s post, currently held by Ray Hodsdon. Renee said Ray filled the final nine months of a selectman’s term, and has taken out nomination papers for a full term.
The other is for a town representative to serve on the RSU 10 Board of Directors. No one has taken out nomination papers.
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