Town meeting will be April 2

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

SANGERVILLE — For a number of years the annual town meeting has been held on the last Saturday of March. In 2016 this Saturday falls on Easter Weekend, and during a selectmen’s meeting on Jan. 28 the board opted to schedule the 2016 session for the week after.

“For this year we will schedule the town meeting to occur the first Saturday of April at 9 a.m. in the station,” Select Chair William Rowe said, with the meeting being held on April 2.

“I would say make explicit notice to the residents so they don’t show up the Saturday before,” Selectman Thomas Carone said.

Town Manager Dr. Ken Woodbury said he checked town records going back to 1975, and there was no vote by the town specifying the annual meeting was required to take place on the last Saturday of March.

One potential warrant item for the annual meeting could pertain to the 2 percent discount for early payment on property taxes. In 2015 more residents than expected took advantage of the program, with about $19,459 being deducted versus the $19,000 estimated at the time the budget was approved.

Carone said this 2 percent discount has been in place since at least 1988, but he would like a decision on continuing the practice to be left up to the voters.

Dr. Woodbury said no immediate surrounding communities offer such a discount for early payment on property taxes, and in Greenville the rate is 1 percent.