Last
year there were few problems that were difficult to deal with. Thanks to
cooperation of many town agencies we were able to hold the line on taxes.
Bruce, Tim and I work well together and many of our problems are solved by
vigorous debate at our meetings and if you follow our meeting notes you will
see many of our votes are unanimous. Our biggest financial mountain to climb is
the transfer station where costs seem out of control and we don't seem to be
able to get our re-cycling percentage up.
I think of the first year I served the
town as a Selectman in 1978 and I can see how the costs of town government have
risen in the last twenty five years. Our total town appropriations for 1978
were $294,321.81 and not all of that was raised in taxes. Many of our
appropriations were paid by State aid and Federal Revenue Sharing. Our dump
cost us $5000 and our appropriation for our very professional fire department
was $5,570. We paid the grand total of $1020 for ambulance service and
Readfield rescue covered Mount Vernon at no charge. Mount Vernon Rescue was in
the planning stages. Our elementary school budget was less than $90,000 and our
contribution to the community school district was $96,459.41. Winter road
plowing and sanding cost $21,722.60 and we spent about $45,000 on summer road
construction and paving. All town employees were paid a lot less in 1978.
Selectmen were paid $1000 each, the town treasurer $800. Our Tax collector,
town clerk made less than $5000 from various funds and excise taxes could be
paid at the Mount Vernon store and we paid the store owner $938.32 for his
services. Our professional assessor costs us $1500 and code enforcement was
handled by a building inspector and plumbing inspector and together they were
paid about $1500.
Mount Vernon had
about half the population it does today in 1978 but population isn't the only
things that have driven the cost of town government up. Many State and Federal
mandates have come to our town without funding to cover them. We used to just
pile our sand and salt on town owned lots and citizens wells got ruined by the
salt. Burning and burying the trash at our town dump didn't cost much but it
was horrible for the air quality and the environment. School costs spiral
upwards but the school board is better prepared to discuss those costs. Salary
costs have gone up to as inflation has made it necessary to compensate
employees for their services. With all these cost increases it is interesting
to note that taxes in Mount Vernon are much less than in neighboring towns yet
the quality of life here seems to be much better. We don't pay for a town
manager and volunteers do much of the work that is paid for in other towns. Our
Fire Department, Rescue services raise much of their own funding through events
like chimney cleaning, chicken barbeques and garage sales. Our road costs have
been held down for the last several years and our roads are well maintained
summer and winter. The one department where costs seem out of control is our
transfer station. The town needs to bring this cost under control and the
Selectmen with consent of the towns people may have to take drastic action to
do so. The last twenty five years have brought a lot of changes and while cost
of town business is up the many improvements have made Mount Vernon a much
better place to live. By working together Mount Vernon has become a model for a
great community.