WHITING — Whiting residents will gather on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. at Whiting Town Hall to decide town spending and fill several town offices, all from the floor of town meeting.
Up for discussion and approval is the selectboard’s proposed town budget of $365,202. That is a hike of about $65,000, or 22 percent, over the town budget that was approved as warned at last year’s town meeting.
Residents are also being asked to provide a $40,000 property tax exemption to disabled veterans.
A Whiting Elementary School budget of about $642,000 is also on the warning, but is a moot point because of the successful vote to unify the Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union under the governance of a single board.
For the first time, voters in the new Otter Valley Unified Union school district will vote on a budget that encompasses school costs in Whiting, Brandon, Goshen, Leicester, Pittsford and Sudbury, as well as at Otter Valley Union High School. Proposed spending for fiscal year 2016-2017 is $22,604,806, which represents education spending of $14,495 per equalized pupil. Whiting residents will vote on this figure by Australian ballot, which will be available all day Tuesday until 7 p.m.
According to estimates developed by the RNeSU business manager and released this week, Whiting would see its education property tax rate fall by 7 cents to $1.44 if the OVUU budget passes.
A number of nominations will be sought to fill vacancies coming up for town positions, most notably a three-year term on the selectboard.
Residents will also be asked to choose, among other positions, a lister, an auditor, a delinquent tax collector, a library trustee, a road commissioner and constables.