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Wilton town meeting set for 7 p.m. on March 14

WILTON – The business portion of Wilton’s traditional town meeting will be at 7 p.m. March 14 at the Florence Rideout Elementary School gym. Voting for officers and two proposed zoning changes will take place on March 12, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the town hall.

Voters on Thursday will consider the proposed budget plus 20 special articles.

The budget totals $4,852,981, and is recommended by both the Select Board and the Budget Committee.

Articles cover a wide range of topics, from upgrading the town’s street lights, scanning documents, and increasing the salary of the town clerk, to whether all board meetings should be live-streamed and designating two roads “scenic.”

An estimated $41,422 would replace existing street lights with more efficient LED lights.

Cost of scanning documents for electronic storage and purchase of related equipment would cost $30,000, and includes funds voted last year and not spent.

Article 15 asks for increasing the stipend paid Select Board members to $4,500 for the chairman and $4,000 for the other two, for a total cost of $12,500.

Article 16 asks to increase the town clerk/tax collector’s salary to $68,767 per year.

Five articles ask for new equipment for the Highway Department, Police Department, and a new lawn mower and attachments for the Cemetery ($11,130).

Three articles are for contributions to existing capital reserve funds: bridges, ($300,000) fire vehicles, and Fire Department air packs ($50,000).

The cost of reconstructing the King Brook Road Bridge is estimated at $1,400,240, with state Bridge Aid Program covering $1,120,192, and the town contributing $280,192, to come from the Bridges Capital Reserve Fund.

Article 23 asks that all of West End Highway (Temple Road to Route 101) and Town Farm Road from Temple Road to the end, (tax map E-042) be designated as “scenic.”

Also asked is that a policy be adopted to have all meetings of boards, committee and commissions that are held in the Court Room of the town hall be video recorded so they can be “live streamed” for public viewing.

Four articles deal with tax relief: a tax credit for qualifying service-connected total disability; adopt the provisions of RSA 79-F “taxation of farm structures and land under farm structures;” modify portions of 79-E Community Revitalization Tax Relief; and modify provisions of RSA 72:39-a for elderly exemption from property tax, based on assessed value.

Zoning changes to be voted on Tuesday include modifications to the Downtown Commercial District and amending the accessory dwelling unit section of the Residential district.