The Antrim Select Board voted to not support two petition warrant articles that will appear on the town warrant – one to provide funding for The Grapevine Family & Community Resource Center, and one for Antrim’s annual Home and Harvest celebration – at Monday night’s budget hearing. 

“The budget process is not easy. Sitting up here and having to tell people about budget cuts is the hardest part of our job,” said Select Board Chair Michael Ott. 

The town’s proposed operating  budget is approximately $5.3 million, which includes $738, 932 for water and sewer infrastructure.  Ott said Antrim is facing an 11% budget increase this year,  and  that “7% of that is totally out of our control.”  

“Antrim’s average income is $68,000 a year. This budget increase is going to be very hard on our residents,” Ott said. “We have to represent every single person in our town, not just the people who could be here at this meeting tonight. A lot of people in town are working second jobs right now and could not be here.” 

Ott said that $116,000 of the budget increase is due to construction costs for a new town well, while $112,000 of the increase is due to higher costs for health and dental insurance for town employees. 

During the budget process, the Select Board decided cut the town’s regular donations to nonprofits by 50%  across the board. Petition warrant Article 3 would have appropriated $10,000 in funds for The Grapevine to compensate for the cuts in the budget. Ott said that unlike town departments, The Grapevine has multiple funding sources and can increase private fundraising to support their programming. 

Many town leaders and residents advocated for the petition warrant article funds for The Grapevine. 

“The Grapevine helps people in town who need the most help, and they provide services the town doesn’t provide. Cutting funding to The Grapevine will hurt a lot of people in town,” said John Anderson.

Former state Rep. Gordon Allen said that although The Grapevine may have additional funding sources, many of those sources may now be at risk.  

“The Grapevine is dependent on state and federal funds, and those funds are going to be cut. The Grapevine relies on us, and they help hundreds of people. Your primary responsibility is of the welfare of the people of this town,” Allen said. 

Longtime resident Sue Conklin agreed.

“You said The Grapevine can get money from somewhere else. Given the current environment, that is a bad assumption,” she said. 

The Select Board voted 2-1 to not support the article, with John Robertson and Michael Ott voting against the article, and Bob Edwards voting in favor. 

Crista Salamy spoke on behalf of petition warrant Article 4, which asked for $15,000 to support the town’s annual Home and Harvest celebration.

“Last year, Home and Harvest cost $17,000, and we were only able to raise $9,000, so we are not covering our costs,” Salamy said. “I don’t know how long we will be able to keep doing this.” 

Salamy said her committee would be willing to amend the article and ask for less.

Ott said the board had not had time to discuss Article 4, but said he personally felt the funds could be used for other town services. The Select Board voted unanimously against the article.

Other warrant articles included requests for  $85,000 for a new police cruiser, replacing a vehicle with 135,000 miles; $19,000 for a new bailer at the town’s recycling center; and $12,000 for new storage trailers at the recycling center.

“The storage trailers have become a safety issue for our staff. The guys have had their feet go through the floors,” Ott said.

Article 7 will authorize the town to enter into a lease/purchase agreement for a highway loader at the cost of $193,000, to raise, appropriate and withdraw $50,000 from the Capital Reserve Fund and to withdraw the $50,000 for the first year’s payment. 

All other proposed warrant articles passed and will appear on the ballot in March. The complete Antrim warrant and budget are available at antrimnh.org.