West Twin Lake tax district vote will be Dec. 12

SALISBURY —  Residents of the area around West Twin Lake met Friday, Nov. 27, at Town Hall to discuss a proposal to create a new tax district.

The West Twin Lake Project, a group led by Peter Menikoff and Thomas Medvecky, organized and on Nov. 6 submitted a petition to the Board of Selectmen,  calling for a meeting to vote on establishing a tax district.

The selectmen held a special meeting Nov. 18 to consider the petition, but by the time the town attorney had reviewed the document and suggested changes, the 30-day period for warning and calling a special meeting had progressed to the point where adequate warning was not possible.

The selectmen asked the petitioners to resubmit, which they did.

Town meeting vote Dec. 12

The special meeting of the electors residing in the proposed tax district is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 12, 10 a.m. at Town Hall. Anyone may attend the meeting, but only electors may vote. All the ground rules will be decided by whoever is elected moderator.

(The call is on the town’s  Web site and published in this week’s Lakeville Journal, Page A2.)

Medvecky said in a phone interview that the purpose of the tax district is to provide a steady source of funding to deal with weeds and sediment in the lake.

“It will be very expensive and difficult to do logistically and will require continuous funding,� he explained.

“This will be a municipal corporation, limited in purpose, and that will be written right in the charter. This way all the people who benefit will share the cost equally.

“This will not be a voluntary organization,� he added.

Asked why this isn’t a job for the Twin Lakes Association, Medvecky said the organization has provided funding for weed and sediment removal in the past, “but the amounts we need would exceed their budget by a factor of three.

“This organization will not be a rival to the TLA. But we are asking for a separate checkbook.

“It’s our mess, we’ll pay to clean it up.�

Ask association first

At an informational meeting Friday, Nov. 27, at Town Hall, Menikoff fielded questions from an often skeptical audience.

Ron Curtis said he wondered why people would want to vote for a tax district rather than give voluntarily, and suggested initiating a fundraising campaign by the Twin Lakes Association specifically for West Twin Lake.

Several others echoed this theme. Rod Lankler asked, “Just how much of a chance has the TLA had to work on this?

“If we put together a committee of the TLA — dedicated fund, tax-deductible — you’ll know overnight if there’s support,� he noted.

In the past, West Twin residents contributed for work done in East Twin, he pointed out. “I think you’ll find the same attitude.�

Louis Fox said that two years ago the TLA decided to use up to $40,000 — “four-sevenths of the association’s total assets� — for biomass removal in West Twin.

“Not one person voted against that.�

He concluded: “An organization exists that has not been utilized in this process.�

Including all in the process

Menikoff estimated that out of 119 affected property owners, only 43 are electors (by Menikoff’s count) and allowed to vote on the creation of the tax district. That did not sit well with some.

Richard Paddock said he was disappointed that only electors can vote to establish the district.

“It seems like a significant percentage of property owners are disenfranchised on this. Do we have assurance from someone that once the district is created everyone is included?�

Menikoff replied, “Between now and the Dec. 12 meeting, if we think a majority of the 119 owners don’t want it then there is little point in going forward.�

He emphasized that once the district is formed, he expects all the property owners would participate to approve any budget — and any taxes.

He suggested that the district could be formed “with the understanding that the first year’s budget is zero, to give the TLA a chance.�

He dismissed criticism of the tax district proposal as “divisive.�

“This thing has been controlled by West Twin people. None of us looking to form this want to stay on the board. This is not a control issue.�

When asked about the timing of the vote — close to the holidays, and at a time of year when even electors might well be out of town — he said that the vote needed to be soon in order to establish the tax district in time for the next budget cycle.

Several people opined it would be helpful to have a plan in place before going ahead with anything else. Steve Klein suggested funding a study as a first step. “Then you might get a majority on a tax district.�

Fox said he believed it would make more sense to use a funding mechanism already in place — the town of Salisbury — and to approach the Board of Selectmen with a plan.

The meeting, which ran about an hour and 40 minutes, did not reach any definite conclusion. Menikoff said he would talk with the people who support the proposal to see if they want to hold off for now.

Menikoff contacted First Selectman Curtis Rand Monday, asking if the meeting could be called off. Rand consulted the town attorney, who said once the meeting is warned, it must be held, even if nothing happens.

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