Londonderry to vote on eliminating auditors, lengthening terms of town clerk, treasurer

By Cynthia Prairie

Among items under consideration for Londonderry voters during Town Meeting next week is Article 4 to eliminate the post of auditor, which has three three-year slots, two of which are up for election, and Article 3 to lengthen the terms of town clerk and treasurer, which are currently one-year terms, to three years.

Londonderry has hired a professional auditing firm to conduct its audits, so if town voters approve eliminating the auditor positions, those elections will not be held.

Of 25 articles to be voted on, 15 are fiscal notes. Click here for the complete Londonderry Town Warning.

Londonderry’s Town Meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 4 at Town Hall on Middletown Road in South Londonderry. Voters will have until 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26 to register to vote at the Town Clerk’s office.

Two others — Articles 14 and 24 concern property owners. If approved, Article 14 would designate the Town of Londonderry as a Property Assessed Clean Energy District, which will enable property owners to get funds for certain energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, then repay the cost as a municipal assessment on the owner’s property tax or other town bill as per 24 VSA Chapter 87 (§3261).

Article 24 would support the town as it continues to plan for the reuse of five Londonderry properties over and above the FEMA standards that were destroyed during Tropical Storm Irene flooding. Those properties are known as the outlet barn and the children’s clothing store, yellow clapboard buildings that sit empty at the intersection of Routes 100 & 11, one in South Londonderry and two further east on Route 11 across from the pond. The town will be seeking grants for final designs, engineering and implementation.

Londonderry’s Town Meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 4 at Town Hall on Middletown Road in South Londonderry. Voters will have until 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26 to register to vote at the Town Clerk’s office.

Among fiscal issues are:

• Article 10, to allocate $40,000 to divide between Phoenix Fire Co. No. 6 and Champion Fire Co. No. 5;
• Article 12, to raise $26,500 for Mountain Valley Medical Center;
• Article 15, for $8,000 to help replace the playground at Pingree Park and make other upgrades there;
• Articles 17 & 18, to set up a reserve fund specifically for replacement of trucks and equipment and set the amount at $47,000; and
• Article 21, which totals $33,000 for 21 community organizations including Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice, the annual Fourth of July Parade & Fireworks; Flood Brook Athletic Association; Neighborhood Connections and GNAT-TV among others.

Of the positions up for a vote are moderator, a one-year term currently held by Mike Bernhardt, town clerk and treasurer, held respectively by Kelly Pajala and James Wilbur. The five member Londonderry Select Board has two positions up for a vote: a three-year term held by Steve Prouty and a two-year term held by Peter Pagnucco.

Other posts of interest are the entire newly created Londonderry Parks Board, appointed last summer and now up for a vote.
Kelly Pajala holds the single five-year term;  Debbie O’Leary holds the four-year term; Colleen Gometz holds the three-year term; Pam Ameden the two-year  term and Susie Wyman, the one-year term.