READSBORO- The voters made it clear the first time and they made it clear again the second time. The town wants to keep their electric utility and they do not want to pay for necessary water system repairs.
At Readsboro’s special Town Meeting this week, voters were again asked to vote whether to sell Readsboro Electric Utility to Central Vermont Power Supply. On Town Meeting day the article failed to attain the necessary two-thirds majority, 156 to 117. Once again, voters’ attitudes toward Readsboro Electric remain unchanged. Out of 231 votes cast, the vote was 137-94. The town needed 139 to sell the utility.
Readsboro voters were also asked to approve $1,430,000 in bonds to finance town water system upgrades. Last summer, the state mandated Readsboro to upgrade its water system and fire hydrants. The article failed to pass at Town Meeting in March, 139 to 136. This time, voters were still not convinced the town should pay for the water system upgrades. Out of 230 votes cast, the vote was 131-99. The article also needed a two-thirds majority to pass but fell short. Now the town is faced with electric rate increases and water system changes that need to be made. Where the town will find the money remains unknown.
Selectboard chair Ray Eilers said he was “very disappointed” with the results. Speaking for himself and not as selectboard chair, Eilers thought the two-thirds majority rule mandated by the state hampered the town’s efforts to pass the articles. “This two-thirds rule is not going to work for a small town. They both passed on face value,” said Eilers. When asked what the town’s next response is, Eilers responded “I don’t know.”
“The state’s going to give us a decision to fix the hydrants or pull them out. We’ll talk about it as soon as we have more information,” said Eilers. “I want to keep pursuing the water bond. If we take our hydrants out, we’ll be going backwards.”
Prior to Tuesday’s electric utility vote, the town discussed the electric utility sale on Monday. Opinions were strong for both sides. Former selectboard member Charlotte Clark stood up and argued the necessity for selling the utility. “Readsboro Electric is supposed to be a stand-alone utility, but it is not. Without support of the taxpayers and their general fund, it would not be able to operate,” said Clark.
Clark added that the utility is funded by taxpayer dollars, contrary to an information sheet stating that it does not. As a result, Clark argued that Readsboro Electric was not running as an efficient public utility. “The selectboard’s salary is paid by all the taxpayers out of the general fund. Having served three years on the selectboard, I went back and reviewed much of what was done at the meetings during my time on the board and I would say that two-thirds of our time was spent on Readsboro Electric. Again, no money from Readsboro Electric users pays for the salary for the selectboard,” said Clark.
Teddy Hopkins said the utility was lucky to be operating at a profit because it received two payments from a defunct electric utility and a payment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after last December’s ice storm. Had the two checks not come through, Hopkins said the town would not be in the position it’s currently in. “There’s not enough money to run the day-to-day budget. If you didn’t have those two scratch tickets, we’d be in the hole,” said Hopkins.
Forrest Hicks spoke in favor of keeping the utility and said operating the utility at a loss is normal and that fluctuations in a utility’s budget are normal. “A public utility is not supposed to run as a profit company,” said Hicks.
But one citizen thought that selling the utility to CVPS would be in users’ worst interests. Ned Fossbender said if the town chose to sell the utility, the rates will be much higher than they would be if it were to remain in the town’s hands. “The rates are going to go up, but it’s still a nonprofit. If anything, (CVPS) is going to run it as a profit,” said Fossbender. “Once (our utility) is taken away, it’s gone. I hate to see that happen and your rates are going to be much higher when CVPS raises them.”
Applause followed Fossbender’s comments.
The town also reconsidered Article 7 from Town Meeting. The article asked “Shall the Town of Readsboro compensate the Town Manager by paying a salary not to exceed $35,000.” The article passed by one vote at Town Meeting, 54-53. At Monday’s special Town Meeting, the town voted on whether to reconsider voting the article a second time. Clark pointed out that the article was moot, since the selectboard, not the town, decides on whether to hire or fire a town manager. Sixty-seven votes were cast. The article failed, 37-30.
Eilers said the selectboard would like to approve the position, but the town does not have enough money in the budget to fund the position. Despite the fact that voters approved the town manager position in March, the position remains in limbo.
Post a Comment