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Annual Town Meeting Bonding Questions and Absentee and Ballot Voting Explained

Posted on: April 29, 2023 - 3:42pm

There are six questions on the Annual Town Meeting ballot, five of which are bonding questions as described below. The amounts stated in the bonding questions are estimates with contingencies.  The amount for the proposed turf field have been reduced by a committed donation.

Bonding Questions:

  • $127,000 for design work for the construction/reconstruction of Scribner Hill Road.  The total current estimated project cost, before completion of design work, is $1,827,000.  The balance of the project cost will be requested at next year’s Annual Town Meeting.  As a result of damage to the road, the northbound lane of the road was closed last June.  A geotechnical engineer was engaged to evaluate the damaged section.  This next phase is the design of the required construction/reconstruction to repair the damage and make the road fully usable again. The Town applied for a state grant to partially fund this project.  That grant application was denied because the road is not a commuting route. 
  • Up to $1,935,000 for an artificial turf field at Allen’s Meadow.  The amount is comprised of the current estimated cost of $1.823 million, plus $109,400 or 6% estimated inflation for a spring 2024 construction start, plus $182,200 thousand or 10% standard contingency, less a $180,000 donation from the Wilton Athletic & Recreation Foundation (WARF).  Once the bid is received, the inflation and contingency amounts will be adjusted. A detailed PowerPoint presentation, including documentation of need, a detailed cost breakdown, turf versus grass comparison and more is available here.
  • $950,000 for the replacement of a fire truck.  Fire trucks are replaced on a 20-year cycle.  Three years are required between when the monies are approved and when the fire truck is delivered.  At that point, the current fire truck will be more than twenty years old.  The replacement fire truck will have a undercarriage made from a different material than the current fire truck, which should allow for a longer life than 20 years.  
  • $780,000 for school roof replacements as part of an ongoing program to replace school roofs or roof sections.  Required replacements are based on thermal scanning and engineering evaluations. 
  • $275,000 for the design and installation of a new elevator at the Cider Mill School.  The current elevator has aged out and does not meet the State’s relatively new requirements for school elevators. 

Actual borrowing for approved projects will begin in the spring of 2024.  This is because the Town borrows once per year.  Borrowing once per year allows for proper budgeting, plus most projects need time to design, bid and contract.  Also, the Town only borrows the actual amount required and when the amount is needed.  For example, last year voters approved $16.4 million in bonding for the police headquarters.  $10 million is being borrowed in 2023 and the remainder in 2024, with construction occurring over two years.  We also adjust the borrowing timeline to minimize year-over-year changes in debt service expense. 

Historical and forecasted bonding and debt service is available here.

Absentee and Ballot Voting

Registered voters and qualified property owners may vote immediately following Tuesday’s Annual Town Meeting or on Saturday at the Clune Center from 8:00am to 6:00 p.m. or by absentee ballot for those unable to vote in person.  A sample ballot is available here.

Annual Town Meeting voting requires a special absentee ballot application with special rules:

  • Applicants my designate a family member or other qualified individual to pick up and/or drop off their ballot.
  • The Town Clerk's Office may not distribute ballots until Wednesday, May 3rd because the recommended budget and mill rate may be changed at Tuesday night's Annual Town Meeting.

The application is available here.  Please read carefully.

Completed ballots must be received by the Town Clerk by 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 6th.  Absentee ballots may be dropped off in the Absentee Ballot Drop Off box outside of the back entrance to Town Hall.  The Town Clerk will check the box at 6:00 p.m. If mailed, a postmark is not receipt.   

Please email me at lynne.vanderslice@wiltonct.org with questions.