Morgan voters visit while casting paper ballots on Monday evening. Photo by Bethany M. Dunbar
MORGAN — Voters here decided to make their kindergarten a full day program to serve nine students expected to be in school next year.
Sean Selby offered an amendment to the school budget at Monday evening’s Town Meeting. The amendment was supported by the school’s principal.
“I’m in favor of it for the educational reasons, and I think it would make a big difference,” Miriam Benson said. She said the kindergarten teacher would be able to add literacy and math skills to the curriculum, but it would still be a kindergarten program, not a first-grade program.
There are only two students in kindergarten in Morgan this year.
In her earlier speech about the budget, Ms. Benson said the school’s quality is great, but Morgan is behind in preschool and kindergarten.
Only three towns in the district do not have a full-day kindergarten program.
The increase adds $25,000 to the bottom line of the school budget, which bring the tax rate for the E. Taylor Hatton School up to 58.65 cents ($58.65 for each $100,000 of property value). With half-time kindergarten, the tax rate would be 3.46 cents less.
The measure passed unanimously, and then the total school budget of $695,300 passed, 73 to 17. Last year’s budget was $685,500.
One voter said it makes sense to spend the money on kindergarten students and get them up to speed before first grade, which might avoid expensive special education costs later on.
It was noted that 74 percent of Vermonters do not pay the full homestead tax rate due to income sensitivity.
Morgan voters also agreed to look into selling some property in order to put the revenue into a capital fund.
One of the properties, about seven acres, is in the middle of another big piece of land and Lister Diane Moore said she has tried to find the property lines and has not been able to.
“It probably would be to the benefit of all of us,” she said. “You can’t go up there and have a picnic because you can’t find it.”
This property is not expected to bring much income, but the surrounding landowner is interested in it. Selling it would put it back into the town’s tax base.
“He wanted us to give it to him. I don’t give anything away,” said Selectman Larry Labor.
The other property covers 213 acres and has a privately owned camp on it. Mr. Labor said it can be worked out with a lawyer to possibly sell a small piece of the property to the camp owners.
Ruby Jenness said some of that parcel is extremely beautiful land and should be valuable.
“I hope you have in mind to get a very good price for it. Don’t be in a hurry,” she said.
Within the next five years the town will need to replace the grader, Mr. Labor said, and a new grader costs about $180,000.
The town report lists the 213-acre property as being worth $142,000.
The selectmen said they will get the property appraised and come back to the voters with the information before selling the land.
Ilene Douglas said that’s not the wording the town voters were voting on.
“It says approve the sale,” she said.
But the selectmen told the voters they would come back to them first.
Voters approved the item on a voice vote.
Voters also agreed to increase the tax break for veterans who are 50 percent disabled. The amount of property that will be exempt from property taxes increased from $20,000 to $30,000. Ms. Moore said there are four such properties in town.
Orleans County Sheriff’s Deputy Phil Brooks explained the department’s request for $10,138, which is up 3 percent and covers about 250 hours of patrols.
“There’s little or no cost of living increase this year,” he said, due to the economy. But insurance costs are up 23 percent even though the department switched health insurance to cut costs. The voters approved the increase.
Re-elected town officers were School Director Kelly Paul, Selectman Robert Guyer, Moderator Charles Woods, Town School Treasurer Ken Mason, Lister Deanna Keenan, Auditor Donna Young, Road Commissioner Shawn Austin, First Constable Robert Cain, Second Constable Greg Wood, Tax Collector James Judd, Grand Jurors Cyrus Benson and Jane Malgeri, Cemetery Commissioner Kenneth Jenness.
Sean Selby was put in charge of emergency management after Roland Besaw stepped down.
