Winchester residents to vote on town, school warrants Tuesday

May 8—WINCHESTER — Residents will head to the polls Tuesday to vote on the town and school district warrants, including budget proposals totaling about $16 million and several contested races.

Winchester's annual town and school district meetings were postponed from March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Polls will be open Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Winchester School.

On the school district warrant, voters will consider a $12.4 million budget proposal, which is $1,083,376, or 9.6 percent, more than the budget voters approved last year. Residents at last year's annual school district deliberative session chose to cut about $1.6 million from what the school board had requested.

That lower budget, which voters passed last March, prompted major cuts, including transportation for students to and from Keene High School, all athletic programs and more than 20 staff positions. Kindergarten was also reduced to half-day. This year's budget proposal restores athletics and high school transportation, along with eight jobs, school board Chairwoman Lindseigh Picard has said.

The default budget, which takes effect if voters reject this year's proposal, is $11,610,865.

This year's school district warrant also includes an article asking voters to raise $400,000 to help eliminate a $745,402 deficit, which the district confirmed last fall, and which developed over the past eight years because the district did not conduct annual financial audits between 2012 and 2016, according to Picard. The district will not be able to use any end-of-year surpluses to lower the tax rate until the deficit is eliminated, Picard has said.

Additional school district warrant articles ask voters whether to appropriate a total of $150,000 to two separate trust funds, and whether to approve a two-year collective bargaining agreement with the Winchester Teachers' Association. The contract would include wage and benefit increases estimated at $64,118 in 2021-22 and $63,903 for the following year.

On the town warrant, Winchester residents will consider a $3,675,097 operating budget proposal — down $17,065, or 0.5 percent, from the $3,692,162 voters approved last year — along with $309,900 for the water department and $375,544 for the sewer department, which are paid for through user fees.

Voters will also consider whether the town should raise $25,000 to hire a part-time social worker for the police department. The selectboard does not recommend this article, which was submitted by petition. Then-Police Chief Mike Tollett, who left in January after the selectboard decided in a nonpublic session not to renew his contract, suggested this position last fall.

At the town's deliberative session last month, proponents of the article said that by adding this position, people could get connected with area resources instead of facing jail time or ticketing, while also freeing up police officers to take other calls. Opponents, meanwhile, said there are already several resources for the police department to use if needed, such as Monadnock Family Services, Maps Counseling Services and the Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention.

Voters will also choose whether to allow the selectboard to enter into a five-year lease-to-purchase agreement for a 2021 wheel loader. If passed, the agreement would cost $153,930, with a first year's payment of $26,983. The town would trade in its current loader, worth $26,000, to offset the total cost of the lease.

Other articles on the town warrant include asking voters whether to raise $40,000 for the ACCESS youth program, and appropriate a total of $179,522 to 12 separate capital reserve funds.

Contested races:

In the only contested school district election, four candidates are vying for two seats on the Winchester School Board. Picard is running for re-election, and Aaron Bittner, Lindsey Hildreth and Autumn Laraba are also seeking three-year terms on the board.

On the town ballot, six candidates are vying for a pair of three-year selectboard terms. Incumbents Gloria Leustek and Jack Marsh will face Lindsey Nutting, Picard, Natalie Quevedo and Theresa Sepe. There is also a contested race for a three-year term on the budget committee between Kevin Bazan, Brenden Hubbard and Sherman Tedford.

And voters will select from five candidates for two three-year terms on the planning board: Brian Favreau, Jason Koerber, Bridget E. Pearce and incumbents Dean Beaman, the board's chairman, and Jordan Sharra.

Four candidates are contending for three seats as Conant Library trustees: Jennifer Bennett, Barbara Depew, Jennifer Gomarlo Howe and Amaret "Mitty" Johnson.

Sentinel reporter Olivia Belanger contributed to this story.

Jack Rooney can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1404, or jrooney@keenesentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @RooneyReports.