[B]ENNINGTON — The town’s Charter Review Committee will recommend giving the Selectboard the authority to develop a local option tax plan for submission to voters.
After some debate Wednesday, the committee voted unanimously to include that recommendation in a report members expect to present to the board by the end of December on possible revisions to the town’s governmental charter.
With the proposed taxing amendment, the Selectboard would have authority to develop a plan for adding 1 percentage point to any or all of the four local option tax categories allowed by the state — sales, rooms, meals and alcohol.
Committee members reached a consensus that they should not try to specify which categories should be increased or specify where the revenue generated should be earmarked, as had been previously discussed.
The committee approved a charter amendment that would simply authorize the Selectboard to put together a proposal to submit to town voters for final approval.
Local option taxes were allowed by the Legislature after passage of Act 60, the education funding law, as a way for so-called gold towns, which send more to the state in taxes than they receive in education funding, to boost town revenues.
For a “receiving town” like Bennington, meaning one that receives more in education funding than it sends to the state, a charter change is required before local option taxes can be considered.
The program allows a community to add 1 percentage point to the state sales tax (now 6 percent); the rooms and meals tax (9 percent); and the alcohol sales tax (10 percent).
The amendment the review committee proposed allows the Selectboard to propose one or all of those options for the town.
All of the group’s recommended charter changes will be included in a detailed report to the board by late December. The board can then submit some, all or none of the recommended changes to the voters at town meeting in March.
Final approvals from the Legislature and the governor also would be required.
It is estimated that in the range of $1 million in additional tax revenue could be generated by a local option tax in Bennington. The tax is collected by the state, which reimburses the community 70 percent of the amount collected annually.
Creating a ceremonial post
Also Wednesday, the committee narrowly approved recommending a designation that the chair of the Selectboard is “the head of town government for all ceremonial purposes.”
The vote was 4-2 with one abstention.
The Selectboard chair, who is chosen during an annual vote of the board, now often does attend ceremonial events, but a majority of committee members felt the more formal designation would be appropriate.
The idea of a small annual fund to offset costs to the chairperson in fulfilling that role won some support. And those voting in favor of the designation said it should be up to the person to decide whether an event required his or her attendance.
Lynn Green and Michael Keane were opposed to the concept.
“It could backfire,” Green said, in that the designation could add pressure on the chairperson to attend every event or be criticized.
She noted that serving on the board includes only a stipend and most board members have full-time jobs that can prevent them from attending events.
“I’m amazed (board members) show up at so many events,” she said.
Keane raised similar concerns. “It’s not that they have other jobs; they have their jobs,” he said. “They have their professions, and what they do as Selectboard members and Selectboard chairs is essentially a more voluntary than it is a compensated position.”
Robert Plunkett abstained from the vote.
Plunkett said he was “ambivalent about the idea.” He said he liked that someone would be designated to represent the town but also liked “the fact that we have a Selectboard of complete equals.”
Board member Robert Ebert said the amendment language might lead to more effective representation for the town.
“We’ve been talking about vision and leadership,” he added, saying the change might be a step toward that goal.
Daniel Malmborg and Jonathan Cohen both noted that a citizen petition now being circulating could force a town vote in March on a mayoral government format for Bennington, which would replace the town manager for an elected mayor/manager post.
“This is a way to kind of address what some folks see as a void,” Cohen said, referring to supporters of a mayoral format, who claim a mayor would more effectively represent the town than a seven-member Selectboard.
“I think this helps us heed a call we have heard from the public,” Malmborg said, adding, “I think we should heed that call, which we have all heard.”
The review committee, which began meeting in July after being appointed by the Selectboard, has one more meeting scheduled — on Dec. 20, beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the Town Offices.
Information on the charter group’s meetings is posted on the town website along with meeting minutes and comments from the public, which can be submitted online.
