GOSHEN — There was only one contested race in tiny Goshen, but Monday evening’s town meeting was nevertheless abuzz with discussion — much of it centered on garbage.
In Goshen, the town has picked up residents’ trash curbside and operated a central point for collecting recycling for awhile, but under new state law Act 148 selectmen determined that the town would have to either collect both trash and recycling curbside, or collect both at a central point. Town officials pulled together a cost analysis for residents to chew over. The 30 people in attendance at town meeting (Town Clerk Rosemary McKinnon said it was the lowest turnout in years) hashed it out and decided that they wanted weekly pickup of trash and recycling in front of their homes.
Residents also approved the proposed general fund spending plan of $211,898, and the proposed highway budget of $136,200. Those compared to the general fund budget for the current year of $215,285 and the highway spending plan of $134,200.
The proposed education budget in Goshen featured a 28.9 percent increase in spending, but the measure still passed. That’s because the $187,500 price tag for educating Goshen kids was affected by a relatively large increase in student population (from 9.81 equalized pupils to 14.18). Brenda Fleming, the Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union director of business and finance, said that per-pupil spending will actually decline by $475. And since state aid is based on number of students, the Goshen education tax rate would go down 6 cents, Fleming said.
Selectboard Chairman Kevin O’Classen and Selectman Jeff Cathcart, who was appointed to fill the vacancy created when longtime Selectman David Gale resigned last summer, both won re-election to three-year terms. Thomasina Magoon won re-election to the Otter Valley Union High School Board. Diane O’Classen won a write-in campaign for a seat on the Goshen school board — she got 22 votes.
In the one contested race, the current second constable, Ed Hayes, defeated incumbent Shawn Martin for the job of first constable. The tally was 37-14.