Lyndeborough, Wilton, to settle debt issue in court

Thursday, January 17, 2013

LYNDEBOROUGH – Wilton and Lyndeborough are friendly neighbors and happily share a number of services, but letting Lyndeborough’s debt to Wilton of $141,000 be settled by the court seems to be the quickest and easiest way to find a solution to the problem.

The two selectboards met in Lyndeborough on Jan. 9 with their attorneys, William Drescher for Lyndeborough and Silas Little for Wilton, to find a solution to the payment problem.

The problem arose after towns changed a section of the Cooperative School Articles of Agreement concerning the method of paying for capital projects. The state office apparently didn’t notice the change and set the tax rate using the old formula which charged Wilton $141,000 that should have been paid by Lyndeborough. The law allows 10 days for errors in tax rates to be noted and neither town did. The error was discovered the following year and corrected, but the money has not yet been paid back.

Drescher said there appeared to be only two ways to address the issue: for Wilton to sue for the money or for local legislators to pass a special piece of legislation. “But that would only allow a special town meeting and the voters could still say no.”

Lyndeborough selectmen agreed to let the matter go to court.

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