BRISTOL — Voters at the March 16 Town Meeting will be deciding on a $9 million operating budget and additional articles calling for the purchase of the Bristol Baptist Church parsonage, placing more than $400,000 into capital reserve accounts, adoption of a community power plan, and expansion of the Veterans’ Tax Credit.
There also is a petitioned article calling for the elimination of machine voting and a return to the hand-counting of paper ballots.
Earlier, on March 12, voters will decide on a number of proposed zoning amendments and elect officers for the coming year.
Former selectman Donald Milbrand and Steven Coffill are vying for the seat being vacated by Shaun Lagueux, chair of the Bristol Board of Selectmen, in the only contest on the ballot.
Proposed zoning amendments include one that would double the minimum area required for dwelling units in the Lake and Rural districts, from 40,000 to 80,000 square feet, and the minimum area for commercial buildings in the Lake District also would double in size.
The planning board also is proposing stricter regulations for properties with steep slopes, while other zoning amendments would correct typographical errors, definitions, and language in existing ordinances.
The proposed operating budget of $9,144,789 represents an increase of $216,137, or 2 percent, over last year’s total budget of $8,928,652.
The increase is driven by a 17 percent projected increase in health insurance costs, along with a 10 percent increase in employee wages.
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