By week’s end, Berwick will have voted in one Selectman and one School Board Member for a three year term.
The only article which was not unanimously recommended by selectmen is Article 14, asking voters to raise and appropriate the sum of $541,731 for the fire department account. In addition to this amount, the town is also asking for $182,356 for fire protection costs, $137,235 for the fire department capital reserve account and $12,000 for the training of two new call members for the fire department.
Some residents in town feel that the fire department has an unreasonably excessive budget.
“I think everyone knows that the fire department asks for an enormous amount of money,” said Berwick resident Toni Lang. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for the services that the fire department provides to this town. However, I also have a lot of respect for the selectmen, and if they all could not agree on the fire department’s account, that sends up a red flag for me.”
Another article which has met some resistance with Berwick residents is Article 27, which proposes the town charge an interest rate of 7.00 percent per annum on unpaid taxes.
“I don’t like the idea of a seven percent interest charge on late taxes,” said Berwick resident Dawn Milbury. “If people are late paying, that usually means they are struggling. If the town imposes a seven percent interest rate on that, it will just get struggling citizens deeper in the hole. I can see a late fee or maybe even a lower interest rate, but seven percent is way too high.”
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What do you think about the proposed warrant articles?
Would you approve an article that wasn’t unanimously approved by the selectmen in your town?
How would you feel if there was a seven percent interest rate applied to late tax payers in your town?
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