LGC recommends it not be included, but residents want it.
Epsom will hold its deliberative session on Saturday, February 6 at 9:00 at the Epsom Central School gym.
Please see the Town of Epsom website for more details.
Related:
Petition Asks for Tax Impact on Warrant
“Knowing what something will cost you is the basis for many decisions. In Epsom, voters have been able to get an estimate of the cost of each warrant article they voted upon – until last year.
Tom Langlais, an Epsom resident, was not happy with this change and has gathered enough signatures to have a petitioned warrant article appear on the ballot this spring requiring the tax impact to again be noted on each warrant article.”
Budget talks center on salary fairness
“Salaries, fairness and the economy marked the Jan. 7 Epsom Budget Committee discussion on the proposed 2010 Town Budget.
Though the working budget, at $2,710,458, is more than $6,000 less than last year’s approved budget, Budget Committee members, citing the economy and decreased revenues, pressed for more cuts — and focused their red pencils on the salary lines.”
Sent to the newspapers:
To Epsom Citizens,
I would like to thank those who signed the petition to ask that the estimated tax impacts be noted back on the official town ballot for all voters to see. The next opportunity to express your opinions as to why you signed that petition comes this upcoming town deliberative session on Saturday, February 6th at 9:00am at the Epsom Central School gym.
There will also be 8 other various warrant articles discussed, including at least 5 that contain money appropriations that affect your property tax bills. Some of the warrants include one to ask if the town will spend money toward engineering studies for a new town office building, another to ask whether the town will spend money to finish the basement of the former Baptist church into the town offices, one to ask if the town will spend money for an additional police officer, and there is one that will ask that a resolution be passed to send to our state electorate to let the people vote on the definition of marriage.
At this session any resident may approach the microphone to ask questions of line items, determine wording of warrant articles, and of course voice concerns or comments. From there we will vote to place them officially on the ballot for voting in March. Remember that every registered voter in attendance can exercise their right to ask for a secret paper ballot to be cast during this deliberative session concerning any warrant or line item with 5 signatures given there before each vote.
So be part of the solution by making a New Years’ resolution and reserve the date, February 6th to decide our town’s fate. Make your voices heard by being active instead of silently passive.
Respectfully Submitted,
Tom Langlais, Epsom
To the Editor:
When the Friends of Epsom’s Historic Meeting House raised enough money and had the building moved and set on the foundation, we all thought we had accomplished something. We had! We had saved a historic building and set it on town property on a foundation at absolutely no cost to taxpayers. Once relocated, many residents of Epsom assumed it would be used to house the town offices instead of renting space.
When the Town Office Building Committee was formed, many residents assumed they would design a space under what used to be the sanctuary of the church. This is not happening. What IS happening is, the first floor (lower level) of the Meetinghouse is planned as PART of the town office complex, which focuses on a new addition off the back of the meetinghouse, to the tune of $?,000,000.00.
Please contact Epsom’s selectmen and tell them that we don’t need and can’t afford a new building – especially when we have TWO existing vacant buildings on the same property, one of which hasn’t yet cost taxpayers a cent, with the exception of utilities.
Much can be done using volunteers. I know one contractor that said he’d be willing to volunteer his services if it would keep his taxes down, and I suspect that there are many others who feel the same.
The argument has been made that there is not enough space under the sanctuary – however, if we utilize the Town Hall for Zoning Compliance, Welfare officer or Tax Collector for instance, there would be plenty of room for all. We already own that building and it, also, needs to be occupied and used.
Please contact the Select board and tell them your thoughts on this, then remind them that it is not their money they are spending.
Bruce Graham, Epsom