Bridgewater

A new town office is on the annual town meeting agenda for Bridgewater residents.

The community will vote at the end of March on whether or not to expend up to $100,000 from a surplus account for a new town office.

The office, which would be a modular building, would be placed on Bootfoot Road on property the town already owns. A new office has been considered for the past five years, according to Bridgewater Town Manager Amanda Dow.

The current town office is located in a small space attached to the town garage on Main Street. Dow said Wednesday that the town would like to make its office compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and add more storage space. If the building is approved, Dow said it would not raise taxes.

Residents also will vote on whether to spend $104,000 on a 2005 plow truck and equipment, Dow said.

Residents will vote on a budget that is about $184,000, about $6,000 less than last year’s budget.

The town hopes to hold the line on the mill rate, which was at 17 mills last year. On a $50,000 home, a resident would pay $850 in taxes.

Residents also will take part in local elections. Incumbent Steven Bradstreet and Keith Kingsbury are running for a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen. Amanda Dow is running unopposed for the positions of town clerk and treasurer.

Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, March 29, at the Bridgewater Civic Building. The annual town meeting will follow at 7 p.m., also at the civic building.

Easton

Town residents will vote on a $615,945 budget, up approximately 3 percent from last year, according to Easton Town Manager Jackalene Bradley.

A $9,000 increase in tipping fees at the Tri-Community Landfill and a $6,000 increase in the Fire Department budget for a dump tank and protective clothing were some of the major factors for the small increase, she said Tuesday.

Bradley said the mill rate wouldn’t increase because of the municipal budget, but that education and county numbers are not known. She said the town does expect a 1.5 to 2 mill increase on the education side of the budget. Last year’s mill rate was 20 mills.

This year’s local elections include a three-year term to the Board of Selectmen. Incumbent Douglas Blackstone is running against Darren West for the position. On the school board, there are two three-year terms and one two-year term open. Incumbents Gaylen Flewelling and Marylee Keep are seeking the three-year terms; David Hopkins, the two-year term.

Polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, April 5, at the Easton Town Office. The annual town meeting will begin at 8 p.m.

Masardis

Local residents will vote on a $195,585 budget, a small increase from last year, according to Masardis Town Manager Judy MacDonald.

The town’s mill rate last year was $23.50 per $1,000 assessed, MacDonald said Thursday.

She said the mill rate probably would stay the same this year.

The major difference in this year’s budget is that the town hopes to raise $30,000 for road repairs for next summer, which is $10,000 more than usual, MacDonald said.

Residents will vote on four positions this year: a three-year term for selectman, assessor and overseer of the poor, as well as the positions of town clerk, tax collector and treasurer. The town will hold open floor nominations for the positions.

The town meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 25, at the Masardis Municipal Building.

Westfield

Town residents will vote on whether to sell the Westfield Elementary School, which SAD 1 closed in 1999, and the land on which it stands during their annual town meeting, according to Richard Watson, chairman of Westfield Board of Selectpersons.

The town has proposed putting the Egypt Road property out to public bid, auction or to put it on eBay.

Watson said Tuesday that the town would like to get the 3-acre property back on the tax rolls as the town has been paying for the building’s upkeep for the past four years, at a cost of approximately $10,000 per year.

“Our only stipulation would be that whoever purchases it, it’s not to be used for a tax-exempt entity,” he said.

The property is estimated at a value of $125,000 to $150,000, Watson said.

Residents also will vote on a $510,404 budget, a 4.9 percent increase from last year. Watson said the increase is due to an estimated increase in insurance, county taxes and the town’s SAD 1 payment.

Town officials estimated that Westfield would pay approximately $220,000 in a payment to SAD 1, which oversees the town’s students. The figure last year was $207,000, Watson said.

The town cut $3,000 from its summer highway budget and reduced its recreation department budget by $2,500 in an effort to apply the savings against the increases, he said.

Depending on what the school numbers are, Watson said the town’s mill rate could increase by up to 3 mills. Last year’s mill rate was 19 mills, he said.

In local elections, residents will vote on two open seats, a three-year term and a one-year term to the Board of Selectpersons. The town elects its officials through open floor nominations.

The annual town meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, March 22, at the Westfield Elementary School.