By Jodi Wolfe
Staff Writer

On of the biggest items voters will decide on is approving a $6.78 million bond for an addition and renovations to Epsom Central School.

HEAT ON, WINDOW OPEN – Paul Martin, a fourth-grade teacher at Epsom Central School, cools off his classroom in the middle of the winter by opening a window. Martin’s classroom is the hottest room in the school, while other classrooms receive less than adequate heat. Replacing the heating and ventilation system as part of proposed $6.78 million bond, is meant to help with the school’s uneven heating issues. (Jodi Wolfe Photo)

On Tuesday, March 8, voters will head to the polls at the American Legion Hall on Short Falls Road from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., to vote on school district and town warrant articles, zoning amendments and candidates.

Candidates
There is only one contested race in Epsom, that of road agent. William E. Clark and Gordon R. Ellis have filed for the two-year term.

No one filed for cemetery trustee or a third budget committee slot.

School district warrant
At the deliberative session of the Epsom School District Meeting on Feb. 10, voters amended the warrant articles by adding wording about the costs of tax increases to each article.

• Voters will be asked to approve a 10-year bond at 4.5 interest for improvements to Epsom Central School. The current estimate for the project is $6,782,585, which includes eight new classrooms, a new cafeteria and kitchen, a new heating and ventilation system, an expanded music room, and expanded library space.

The warrant article would also ask voters to approve raising $172,956 for the first bond payment.

The Epsom School District has locked in 40 percent reimbursement from the state.

The school of 511 students is overcrowded with two classes in a modular building outside.

Students who need special instruction receive this instruction in inadequate classrooms or on the stage in the gym.

Asprinkler system would also be added.

A few weeks ago, Epsom lost electricity and the boiler never came back on. A part needed to be replaced.

“It cost us $3,000,” said Epsom Central School Principal Jane Fargo. “Really, it’s just a patch job until we fix it.”

• Article 2 asks voters to approve a school district operating budget of $6,846,918, which is 15 percent higher than last year’s operating budget of $5,948,420. If the operating budget is defeated, the default budget is $6,642,297.

The increase includes the expiration of grants, new textbooks, and some higher special education costs.

If the operating budget is approved, the tax rate will be raised by 94 cents. However, if the budget fails, the default budget will raise the tax rate by 20 cents.

• Article 4 ask taxpayers to approve raising $72,071 to pay for a deficit from the 2004-05 school year for unanticipated high school tuition and special education costs.

If this article is approved, the tax rate will increase by 40 cents.

• Article 3 will ask voters for $12,289 from taxes for increases in salary and benefits based on a collective bargaining agreement that was reached between the Epsom School Board and the Epsom Support Staff Association.

If Article 3 is approved, the tax rate would increase by 7 cents.

Town warrant articles
• Article 15B will ask taxpayers to raise $160,000 to pave the quarter-mile dirt portion of New Orchard Road, which would raise taxes by 89 cents per $1,000 of property value.

Article 15A will ask voters to approve re-evaluating the New Orchard Road’s level of priority on the paving schedule. If approved, recommendations would be presented to the Road Advisory Committee and the board of selectmen to be included in the road improvement and capital improvement programs.

Currently, New Orchard Road is a low priority for paving, said Bobbie Aversa, a New Orchard Road resident who filed the petition warrant article.

If Article 15B is approved, Aversa said she hopes town officials will upgrade the priority of paving New Orchard Road, which connects Route 4 to Route 28.

•Article 2 will ask taxpayers to raise $20,000 for seven months’ salary and benefits of an additional full-time police officer. The $20,000 would br used with $4,000 from the parttime police budget line in the police department’s budget.

If this article passes, it would be included in the operating budget for next year.

• Article 1 will ask voters to approve an operating budget of $2,493,975, which is a 15.3 increase over last year’s budget of $2,162,280. If that article is defeated, the default budget would be $2,272,292.

• Article 10 will ask voters for $30,000 to build a three-bay garage behind the fire station to house fire vehicles and store equipment. The fire station does not have additional space for vehicles and currently uses the basement of the police station to store one truck during the winter months, Fire Chief Stewart Yeaton said.

• Article 3 will ask voters to approve depositing 10 percent of the revenues collected from the land use change tax in the conservation fund.

• Article 13 will ask voters if the town should discontinue the position of elected welfare officer and authorize selectmen to hire someone for the position. This was not approved by voters last year.

Other articles involve putting money into capital reserve funds and increasing elderly and veterans’ tax exemptions.