BY ANGELO LYNN
WEST RUTLAND — At Town Meeting this year, Westside voters endorsed a full slate of candidates to fill several town and school posts, approved a budget of $1.5 million and a sidewalk repaving plan for an additIonal $100,000, and approved 16 separate articles requesting funds for varIous agencies to serve area residents.
Those blanket yes votes were largely due to no contested races and a town budget with a modest 3.2% increase. Voters met virtually on Monday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. for a virtual informational hearing then voted via Australian ballot on Tuesday to elect town clerk (3 years), town treasurer (3 years), town moderator (1 year), selectperson for a three-year term and a selectperson for a one-year term, lister (3 years), library trustee (3 years) and town law agent.
Elected to those positions were: Christine Werner for town clerk; Patricia Kulig for town treasurer; Michael Moser for town moderator; Richard Daley selectman for the three-year term; John Center and Nick Notte for two one-year terms as selectman; Adan Garcia for lister; Michael Moser for town law agent; Tom Callahan for Quarry Valley School Director (3-year term); and Shelly Williams for library trustee for a three-year term.
Residents approved the selectboard’s proposed budget of $1,737,602 of which $1,529,952 is to be raised by taxes, by a vote of 158-58. The budget represents a 3.2% increase over the prior year’s budget. Voters also approved spending $100,000 on continued sidewalk improvements by a 173-43 tally.
The municipal tax rate per $100 value is expected to increase from 0.751 in 2022 to 0.785 in fiscal year 2023. On a home valued at $100,000, that an increase of about $35.
Westside residents also voted for articles from 16 individual social service agencies, including $4,800 for the Rutland Area Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice; $3,400 to support Rutland Mental Health Services, and $1,000 to support the services of the West Rutland Food Shelf.
QVUUSD VOTES
Quarry Valley Unified Union School District voters in Poultney, Proctor and West Rutland voted to re-elect Michael Moser for moderator; Betsy J. Wescott for clerk; and Patricia Kulig for treasurer. All were for one-year terms and were uncontested races.
School district residents also approved $19,096,029.63 for the QVUUSD budget, which will result in education spending of $16,870.49 per equalized student — an increase of 1.85% more than last year. The district vote was 666-315.
