NEWS: Selectmen Want to Reduce Tax Rate, Town Manager Disagrees

How much should town officials ask voters to put into the Capital Stabilization Fund at the October 20 Fall Town Meeting? Town Manager Mark Haddad wants to put $400,000 into the fund, while only $335,000 would be required to maintain the balance in the fund to Department of Revenue recommendations of 1.5 percent of the total annual budget. Currently, there is a balance of $167,891 in the account.

Selectmen were hesitant to support the $400,000; instead they were looking for ways to find monies that could be returned to the taxpayers.

Haddad was adamant that he only wanted $100,000 - maybe $150,000 to be used to offset the tax rate.

He advised that he is recommending the $400,000 amount, anticipating that the cost to refurbish the Fire Department Ladder Truck could be close to $400,000. Chairman Josh Degen, appearing somewhat surprised by the number for this work, asked how many times the ladder truck has actually been called out and why it needed to be refurbished. Haddad said that the truck was at its half-life of 30 years.

A two-thirds vote of town meeting is required to take any monies out of a stabilization fund.

Local Meals Tax Option

The Board agreed to let town meeting voters decide whether or not they want to adopt the Local Meals Tax Option for Groton. This option adds .75 percent to the current 6.25 percent for taxes on customer's bills at restaurant and take-out establishments. If approved, Haddad estimated that it could mean an additional $100,000 in revenue for the town.

Several weeks ago two local restaurant owners told the Board that they felt this increase would hurt their businesses and that some customers would not come into their establishments as often.

However, Selectman Jack Petropoulos said that he talked with a Main Street businessman who told him that the increase was not a problem for them. Selectmen Chairman Josh Degen said he talked to people who were against it and told them that it meant an increase of seven cents on a $10 order.

FinCom chairman Gary Green pointed out that it was still a tax and said he was "not a big fan of this."

Lost Lake Watershed

Although Haddad earmarked the sum of $50,000 in the Lost Lake Watershed effort as a place holder, both Selectman Petropoulos and Fin Com member Art Prest advised him that the account already had $17,000 left from the last project and at the most they would recommend an additional $15,000 to raise the total to $32,000 for the Lost Lake Watershed Advisory Group.

According to Prest, "The prime objective for the group is to understand the water quality in lost Lake and Knops Pond," and they were still in the planning stage of looking at potential next steps for the water.

Sargisson Beach

Voters will be asked to take action on an article from the Community Preservation Committee in the amount of $75,000 to continue Sargisson Beach restoration, to repair the severely undercut and eroding lake banks in order to create improved fishing access to the deepest part of the lake and to repair a stone wall to provide storm water run-off management and prevent further beach sand erosion.

Mosquito Control Project

Although there is not article to reinstate the Mosquito Control Project on the Town Meeting Warrant, Chairman Josh Degen asked his colleagues if they thought that this should be included. The town meeting originally voted to join the control project, then, with the Groton-Dunstable School budget shortfall, voters supported withdrawing this article.

Reaction from Board members was mixed, some wanting to wait until spring, some on the fence and another against putting an article on the fall town meeting warrant.

The public hearing with Selectmen and Finance Committee has been continued to Monday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m.