Annual budget town meeting is May 20

KENT — The annual budget town meeting will be held at Town Hall on Friday, May 20, at 8 p.m.Taxpayers will be asked to vote on the proposed municipal and education budgets for fiscal year 2011-12. The total proposed budget is $10,814,650, and includes the $2,734,753 municipal budget, a $553,600 transfer to the capital fund, $593,540 in debt service plus $153,906 in debt service for the new firehouse and $323,000 for the current year’s appropriations in the five-year capital plan.The education budget includes $3,876,088 for Kent Center School Board and $2,570,853 for the Region One School District budget.The proposed budget, if passed, is expected to raise the mill rate to 14.27 (from 14.02).Voters will also be asked to approve the five-year capital plan and to approve an appropriation of $100,000 from the general fund to complete the renovations on the Community House. This $100,000 will be reimbursed once a state Small Town Economic Assistance Program grant for the same amount goes through. The grant was awarded on Sept. 1, 2010.Voters will be asked to approve a change to an ordinance regarding alternate members of the Park and Recreation Commission. The new ordinance will say that alternate members will serve one-year terms starting and ending on the date of the annual town meeting. Should an alternate member resign, the new ordinance will allow the Park and Recreation Commission to appoint a new alternate to finish the term.The final item that will be voted on is a proposed change to the winter parking ban. The new ordinance will dictate that no vehicles may be parked on a road maintained by the town of Kent between the hours of midnight and 7 a.m. between Dec. 1 and April 1. All vehicles in violation will be towed at the vehicle owner’s expense.