Rochester Town
Meeting Preview
By Martha Slater

Rochester’s Town Meeting 2007 will take place Monday, March 5 at 7 p.m. at the Rochester High School Auditorium.

Town officials who will be elected that evening include a moderator (Ethan Bowen is the incumbent), town clerk and town treasurer, (Joanne McDonnell is the incumbent in both positions), and two members of the selectboard; one for a three-year term (Danny McIntyre is the incumbent) and one to fill the remaining one year term of Heather Masterton, who resigned last summer.

Other officials to be elected include a lister for a three-year term (Pat Harvey is the incumbent), an auditor for a three-year term (Homer Brown is the incumbent) and a collector of delinquent taxes (Lisa B. Steventon is the incumbent).

It should be noted that on the warning, it appears that there are five library trustee positions to be elected, but two of those were actually voted on at a special town meeting held last June 26. The terms ending in 2009 and 2010 were filled by Bill Zucca and Tom Wicker, so only three library trustee slots will need to will be voted on.

The final six officials to be elected are two grand jurors, each for a one-year term (Sandra J. Haas and Susan McCune Disbrow are the incumbents), an agent to prosecute and defend suits for a one-year term (Peter Riley is the incumbent), a trustee of public funds for a three-year term (Ann Pierce is the incumbent), a cemetery commissioner for a five-year term (Joan K. Hubbard is the incumbent), and an agent to convey real estate for a one-year term (Ginger Lambert is the incumbent).

Money Matters

The proposed town budget of $767,339 (with $487,449 of that to be raised from property taxes) will come up for approval under Article 7.

Article 8 asks for approval of appropriation requests totaling $119,269 from 13 different agencies, including the Quintown Senior Center, the Valley Rescue Squad and the Center for Valley Youth. Articles 9-15 are also financial in nature. Article 10 asks voter approval to establish a Reappraisal Reserve Fund and add any Equalized Grand List payments received from the state for a future state-mandated reappraisal. Other articles ask approval of $10,000 each to continue funding the Rochester Fire Dept.’s Building Reserve Fund and Equipment Reserve Fund; $10,000 to be added to the Reappraisal Reserve Fund, and $45,000 to continue funding the Highway Equipment Reserve Fund. Voters will also be asked to approve $1,000 to continue funding the Emergency Management Reserve Fund and $5,000 to establish a Cemetery Reserve Fund.

Under Article 17, voters will be asked to approve $16,000 for the purpose of hiring a part-time town administrator to assist the selectboard in administrative matters and grant acquisition. Article 18 asks $8,000 to establish a Records Preservation Reserve Fund to continue preserving the town’s property and vital statistics records.

Opinion Poll

Article 19 is the only one not pertaining specifically to Rochester town business, and was placed on the ballot by petition. It asks voters to adopt a resolution to be sent to the state legislature "calling for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney and their removal from office under Article 2, Section 4 of the United States Constitution."

Anyone who would like a copy of the town report, but did not receive one in the mail, should call the Rochester Town Office at 767-3631 during business hours to get a copy.

____________