Town races turn lively
Toolbox
By Brent Curtis STAFF WRITER - Published: February 26, 2009
MIDDLETOWN SPRINGS — Five candidates running for three positions, including one man running for the Select Board, constable and road commissioner, and increased school and town spending await voters at the polls.
Town meeting will feature a race between newcomers Christopher Larson and Robert Zorn, who are seeking a two-year Select Board seat left vacant by Robin Chestnut-Tangerman.
There's also a three-way race between Zorn, challenger Ron Dufour and incumbent William Reed for a three-year post as road commissioner.
The final race is a two-way race between Zorn and newcomer Justin Hier, who are competing for the two-year constable position left empty by Susan Miller.
Dufour said he decided to run for road commissioner after assisting the town with a road project on North Street. Dufour, who worked with road crews in Queensbury, N.Y., said the work on North Street opened his eyes to opportunities the town was missing out on to save money on materials and other job related expenses.
Dufour, who now works in a sugarbush, said he has also been unsatisfied with the maintenance of many town roads, where he said potholes have gone unrepaired for long periods of time.
Hier, 31, has no background in law enforcement. However, the volunteer firefighter and Hubbardton Forge employee said he is eager for another way to serve the community and willing to learn the laws. If elected, Hier said, he would want to focus on speeders and local issues that out-of-town police agencies aren't able to address in Middletown Springs.
Larson, 32, moved to Middletown Springs only four years ago, but he grew up not far away in Wells. While relatively new to town, he said he wants to be a positive force in the community he now calls home.
And, as a lawyer, he said, his experiences with contract negotiations and other laws could serve the town well. He said he also wants to focus on long-term planning to maintain the village center and the town's needs for office and municipal space.
Reed, 51, has been road commissioner for nine years. On top of that, he works as the road foreman, drives a school bus in town and is a member of the Select Board.
During his tenure as road commissioner, Reed points to the creation of an equipment replacement fund and projects such as the recent reconstruction of two miles of Route 140 as accomplishments. The Route 140 project wasn't a complete success — parts of the reconstructed road have deteriorated, he said. However, Reed said the contractor is returning to fix the road.
Reed said he wants to cut back on major projects during the coming year because of the economy.
Zorn, 57, once served as constable in town. But the prime land developer said he's running for three seats because he wants to return justice and statutory law to a local government that he says is corrupt.
If elected, Zorn said, he would prosecute offenders in town government while providing equal rights to all.
There's little to see in the town budget, where the proposed $178,536 general operation budget is up only $4,287 over the current $174,249 budget. The proposed $384,130 highway budget took a bigger jump, increasing $17,550 from the current $366,580 budget. Select Board Chairman Fred Bradley said the majority of the increase was due to the addition of a full-time commercially licensed driver.
Spending on the school side increased significantly more with the proposed $1,987,598 budget up $99,310 from the current $1,888,288 spending plan.
Louis Milazzo, business manager for the Rutland Southwest Supervisory Union, attributed $92,000 of the additional spending to increased tuition costs for students in grades seven through 12 who attend schools in other towns.
In addition to the regular school budget, voters will be asked to set aside $75,000 into a facilities maintenance fund for future building repairs to the elementary school and voters will be asked to approve a $52,650 loan needed to pay for improvements to the water system.
The mandatory water improvements would be partially reimbursed to the town if voters approve the loan from the state revolving loan fund, Milazzo said. If voters approve the loan, the actual cost to taxpayers would be only $16,750, he said.
An informational meeting is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the Firehouse Hall. Polls will be open at the Firehouse Hall from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday.
brent.curtis@rutlandherald.com
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