After being offered the Wilton Falls building as a gift, the town is asking residents to approve a revolving fund to pay for the general management of the property.

The building is currently has six units and houses several tenants, including the Open Cupboard Food Pantry and the Main Street Association offices, as well as at least three businesses. All revenues received by the town for ownership of the building generated by rents, leases or payments in lieu of taxes, or charges for services from tenants or building users, would be deposited into the fund. Revenue would remain in the fund, separate from the town’s general fund balance.

The money from the fund would then be used to pay for the costs associated with the building, such as repairs and redevelopment.

Although the fund would eventually accumulate funds from users of the building, the town is seeking to start it by using $25,000 from the town’s unexpended fund balance from the previous year.

Proposed operating budget is $6.46 million

The proposed operating budget is $6.46 million, an increase of just under 7% from the current budget of $6.04 million.

One of the major drivers in the budget is benefit costs, which are up by about 20% this year, or about $79,000; elections, which are expected to cost about 8% more than last year; and voter registration, which is due to the number of elections held.

Ambulance costs are also rising from $174,619 in 2023 to $294,456.

Wilton voters will also decide whether to make the Wilton Police Station solar-powered, with an $80,000 request on this year’s warrant to install a photovoltaic solar system on the station’s roof.

Multiple articles on the warrant affect the Wilton Public & Gregg Free Library. The first is a $125,000 article to extend a water main system from Forest Road up Gregg Street, which would supply a sprinkler system for the library and include the installation of a hydrant that would provide a supply for fire suppression in the neighborhood.

In another article, the library is also seeking $26,000 to repair the walkway entrance.

Several articles relate to ongoing lease payments for town vehicles. In each case, the agreements are lease-to-purchase, with the town owning the vehicle at the end of the term, but the town also has the option to end the lease at any point prior to the final payment and return the vehicle.

Of the leases, the town is seeking $62,531 for the fourth payment of a 10-year lease for the Fire Engine 1, $29,000 for the final payment on the town’s 2019 International 10-wheel dump truck and $13,762 for the third payment of a five-year lease on the Highway Department pickup.

Another article would approve the town to enter into a new lease, totaling $260,000 in payments over the course of seven years, for a six-wheel dump truck. The first payment this year would be $45,000. 

Multiple articles are requesting to add funds to capital reserves or expendable trusts, to save for future purchases. They include $150,000 for dam repair, $20,000 for emergency communications projects, $40,000 for highway equipment, $10,000 for unanticipated legal expenses, $35,000 for the Town Hall fire protection reserve, which is used to save for the installation of a sprinkler system; $85,000 for Town Hall repairs; $75,000 for the public works building reserve; $50,000 for the Fire Department vehicle reserve; and $15,000 from Fire Department airpack replacement reserve.

All additions to capital reserves are expected to come from this year’s taxation, except for a proposed addition to the bridges capital reserve. That request would use $36,970 from  funds granted to the town by the state for the purpose of repairing or replacing town bridges.

As well as adding to existing funds, the town is asking to establish some new ones.

The first new fund would be a capital reserve to save for costs related to stormwater management and infrastructure. The request includes both starting the fund and adding $25,000 to it, which would come from unspent money budgeted for stormwater management in 2023.

The second new fund would be to establish a fund for upgrades to the Town Hall to increase accessibility for people with disabilities, and would include starting the fund with $16,000.

The town is also asking to discontinue a fund which was saving for roof repairs on the Police Station, after that project was completed last year.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on X @AshleySaariMLT.