Hinesburg Artist Series
CVU gets the win Berger victorious in pitching debut
Chorus, band host Mother’s Day concert
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May 4, 2023
Charlotte passes budget
Weekly news coverage for Charlotte and Hinesburg
Hinesburg wastewater bids top $15 million
Petal power
Second vote sees 26 percent turnout
COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
The retooled $2.7 million Charlotte town budget passed 496-354 in the revote Tuesday night that brought 852 of the 3,329 registered voters to the polls — a 26 percent turnout rate, just 3 percent lower than the 29 percent seen on Town Meeting Day. After nearly four weeks of budget workshops, the selectboard managed to knock more than 5 percent off the $2.9 million budget that was shot down by 35 votes in March. The new budget of $2,780,713 represents a decrease of $150,196 in spending, mostly represented by employee benefits and salaries. Alongside a slew of other cuts, including Charlotte Senior Center expenses, planning and zoning, traffic calming measures and donations, members of the selectboard also voted to nix the 2- to 3-percent annual employee salary increase outlined in the town’s salary administration policy, in addition to $20,000 in See BUDGET on page 13
PHOTO BY LEE KROHN
April’s showers have indeed brought May flowers, including this mid-bloom display of purple and violet.
BAM BAM BURGER, Anyone? #getblissbee
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LaPlatte Beef, Pickled Jalapenos, BBQ Sauce, Crispy Onion
Hinesburg town officials are experiencing some sticker shock after three bids to build out the town’s wastewater treatment facility came in over $15 million. Three bids were received in April: one from Neagley & Chase for $15,078,575; another from Penta for $15,906,000; and a third from Kingsbury for $15,066,870, according to town documents. Now, town officials will have to figure out how to proceed. Voters in 2020 approved borrowing funds for the facility but only approved up to $11.7 million. “Given the bid prices, which were way above what was estimated, we need to do some figuring out,” Todd Odit, Hinesburg’s town manager, said. “We can’t go forward with a project if it’s going to require more borrowing than what the voters had approved.” Hinesburg is one of a string of towns in Vermont that are facing million-dollar upgrades or renovations to their wastewater treatment plants. In South Burlington, voters this March approved a $33.8 million bond to fund upgrades to their Bartlett Bay WastewaSee WASTEWATER on page 16
Real Food, Real Easy Williston & South Burlington
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