School Budget Passes

With a school budget of $10.52 million dollars, Lyndon made history by using Australian balloting for the first time to decide whether or not the funding for the school would pass. When the results were in there were 276 votes in favor of the school funding and 177 against the school funding. Before voting occurred many people were afraid that using this type of voting would hurt the chances of passing the budget. Now that it has passed the town can move on and worry about the school budget next year.

If you have any questions regarding Lyndon contact the Lyndon Town Clerk
Lisa Barrett
119 Park Avenue
PO Box 167
Lyndonville, Vt
05851
Phone- 802-626-5785
Fax- 802-626-1265

Lyndon Town Meeting 2010 Brief Overview

As Lyndon residents filed into the Town School's gymnasium many seemed eager to start the annual town meeting. As the hammer hit the podium at 9 A.M. sharp the gym seemed as if it was a church. There were many open seats in the front of the room, but very few open seats in the back. For the most part, Lyndon's town meeting was low key and had little discussion throughout the day. On all matters regarding aid for the elderly and public services such as the Area Agency on Aging, the Caledonia Home Health Care Hospice, and the Northeast Kingdom Human Services, voting was unanimous in favor of providing money for them. Although the town meeting was for the most part low key, a few questions were raised and discussed over a few of the issues being voted on. One of them was whether to give $5,000 dollars to the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium for this year in return for free and unlimited admission to Lyndon residents. After this was put on the table Carol Fisher, a Lyndon resident, voiced her concern that the town was wasting tax payers money on something that was not being taken advantage of by the town's residents. After her opinion was voiced, a man stood up and stated that his son went to the museum and planetarium over a dozen times a year. Also a woman commented that the weather station is there, which has a positive impact on the community. After these people talked, many heads were nodding in agreement with what was said and the money was given. On the other hand, the only thing that was voted down during the town meeting was to enable participating property owners to access funding for eligible energy efficiency and renewable energy projects and to pay back the cost through their taxes. This clearly was the most involved discussion of the day. When it first came onto the table, people tried to vote quickly to skip it, but others insisted to hear other voices about it so one could vote with knowledge on the subject. Basically, this would provide money for citizens who made energy efficient improvements to their homes. However, the home owners would have to pay back the loans within twenty years. Many residents voiced how they believed that if the people did not pay back the money that they were loaned, the tax payers would be held responsible. After much discussion and confusion, because there were several different motions on the floor, the town voted it down.

Preview of Lyndon Town Meeting agenda

With Lyndon's annual town meeting just around the corner, many topics will be voted on. Here are just a few of many. Voting on whether to allow the select board to borrow more than one-million dollars from the town will be one of the first subjects to be discussed and voted on. Further down the line there will be a vote on whether to give the Lyndon outing club one-thousand dollars. As these economic times have gotten hard on many, Lyndon Outing Club has experienced this as well. If the club is awarded the money then they can continue to be a positive impact on the community. Lastly, with cost of gas increasing, the local Rural Community Transportation provides rides to many locals who cannot afford a car or the gas to put in it. The town will vote on giving $6,440.63 to the RCT. Remember to attend Lyndon's 2010 Town Meeting to vote and be a part of your community.

Lyndon village Vs. Lyndon town over paying for local Police

Source: Caledonian Record
Recently, Lyndonville Police Department has seen an increase in calls for their assistance outside of Lyndon Village. In the past the Lyndon village has had more calls than Lyndon town, but as the seasons change so do trends. Seeing as Lyndon Village was paying for 60% of the Police departments costs and Lyndon Town was only paying 40% something needed to be done. After discussing the statistics Lyndonville Board of Trustees and Lyndon Board of Selectmen came to an agreement. They decided that Lyndon Village should only pay 55% of the police departments costs and Lyndon Town should pay 45%. Now things are more even and more fair according to statistics.

Lyndon Town Warning 2010

1. Shall the voters of the Town of Lyndon authorize the Selectboard to borrow for Town expenses not to exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000) in anticipation of taxes and toexecute and deliver the note or notes therefore?

2. Shall the voters of the Town of Lyndon authorize the Selectboard to borrow money for
the operation of the Wastewater Department not to exceed one hundred thousand
dollars ($100,000) in anticipation of revenues and to execute and deliver the note or
notes therefore?

3. Shall the voters of the Town of Lyndon authorize the Selectboard to set charges by
residential unit to defray the cost of sanitation service for the period January 1, 2010
through December 31, 2010, and to set the date of collection of same?

4. Shall the Town of Lyndon appropriate $5,400 to assist the Area Agency on Aging for
Northeastern Vermont in providing services to senior citizens in the ensuing year?

5. Shall the Town of Lyndon appropriate $9,500 to the Caledonia Home Health Care and
Hospice to be used in providing health care services?

6. Shall the Town of Lyndon appropriate $3,000 to the Darling Inn Senior Meal Site, Inc.?

7. Shall the Town of Lyndon appropriate $5,000 for the operation of the Fairbanks
Museum and Planetarium during the ensuing year, in exchange for free unlimited general
admission to the Museum for all Lyndon residents?

8. Shall the Town of Lyndon appropriate $1,000 to Helping Other People Everday
(H.O.P.E.) to continue providing basic needs (food and clothing) and improving the
quality of life for the children, individuals and families in our community?

9. Shall the Town of Lyndon appropriate $1,000 to the Lyndon Area Chamber of
Commerce to repair and refurbish the Welcome Center located on Broad Street?

10.Shall the Town of Lyndon appropriate $1,500 to the Lyndon Area Senior Action Center,
Inc.?

11. Shall the Town of Lyndon appropriate $1,000 to Lyndon Outing Club?

12. Shall the Town of Lyndon appropriate $7,009 to Northeast Kingdom Human Services,
Inc., to assist in providing mental health, substance abuse, medical/psychiatric, and
developmental services to adults, adolescents and children?

13. Shall the Town of Lyndon appropriate $2,750 to Northeast Kingdom Youth Services tosupport their work with youth and families in our community?

14. Shall the Town of Lyndon appropriate $2,288 to the Northeastern Vermont
Development Association for planning, development, promoting and publicizing the
resources of Caledonia, Essex and Orleans counties with other towns in the three
counties?

15. Shall the Town of Lyndon appropriate $6,440.63 to Rural Community Transportation
for services provided to residents that live in the Town of Lyndon?

16. Shall the Town of Lyndon appropriate $4,000 to Umbrella, Inc. to serve victims of
domestic and sexual violence and their children, and to ensure families have access to
affordable, high quality child care?

17. Shall the Town of Lyndon appropriate $7,500 to the Village Improvement Society
(VIS) to use towards operating the Powers Park Summer Program?

18. Shall the voters of the Town of Lyndon vote to adopt the proposed General Fund
budget for the ensuing year? (NOTE: Total General Fund budget is subject to increase
by amounts approved on previous special appropriations.)

19. Shall the voters of the Town of Lyndon vote to assess a general Town tax in an amountsufficient to support the adopted budget, including any special appropriation articlesapproved by voters?

20. Shall the voters of the Town of Lyndon vote to authorize the Selectboard to determinethe tax rate necessary to raise the approved assessment based on the 2010 Grand List?

21. Shall the voters of the Town of Lyndon vote that taxpayers pay real and personal taxesto the Treasurer on or before 4:30 PM on Friday, November 5, 2010, with delinquent taxes having interest charges of one percent per month for the first three months,whereafter interest rates will be one and one-half percent per month, and an eight percent late penalty charged against them from the due date of November 5, 2010, at 4:30 PM?

22. Shall the voters designate the Town of Lyndon as a Clean Energy Assessment District,as defined in the Vermont Energy Act of 2009 (Act 45), so that the Town may operatea program, in cooperation with other municipalities if the Select Board so approves, toenable participating property owners to access funding for eligible energy efficiency andrenewable energy projects and to pay back the cost as a regular municipal assessment onthat property owner’s property tax bill?

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Upcoming Lyndon Town Meeting

With March just around the corner citizens all across Vermont are getting ready for the annual town meetings. Lyndon's town meeting will take place at 9 A.M. on March 2, 2010 at the Lyndon Town School. After talking to the town clerk Lisa Barrett, she said this year Lyndon town meeting is going to be quieter than last year. The main issue this year is who will be the new select board member.