City, Schools Work on Spending Plans
The next two weeks are crucial for residents who wish to weigh in on the municipal and school budgets that will be voted on March 3. The City Council meets January 8 and January 15 to take public input on proposed spending plans for FY21 and must set a final budget plan by January 23. A public budget hearing is also set for 6:30 pm January 8 at the high school to discuss the Montpelier-Roxbury Public Schools budget. The School Board plans to finalize its proposal on January 15.
Downtown Patrons Raise $1,250 for Charity
This holiday season, shoppers in downtown Montpelier opened their wallets to support those in need. Shoppers raised over $1,250 by feeding parking meters that were otherwise free for holiday parking and by making donations in downtown businesses. The fundraiser was a partnership between downtown merchants, the City of Montpelier, and Montpelier Alive. Money raised will go to the Montpelier Community Fund, which distributes it to dozens of organizations working in the community.
City Likely to Undergo Reappraisal Soon
An anticipated dip in the city’s common level of appraisal is likely to trigger a state-mandated real estate reappraisal in the next few years, city officials said. The state annually adjusts a municipality’s CLA to reflect the ratio of Grand List property value to recent sale prices over a three-year period. Montpelier’s CLA dropped from 89.67 percent (2018) to 86.86 percent (2019) in the most recent comparison. Given that trend, the city expects that next year’s evaluation will fall below 85 percent, the point at which the state orders a citywide reappraisal. The CLA is also a key factor in determining school property taxes. A reappraisal is not likely to take place before 2023, according to City Manager Bill Fraser.
