Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending April 27, 2013

Town-Wide Reappraisal Informational Meeting  April 30

from the Town's email distribution list
The reappraisal of all Norwich properties is proceeding on schedule. The property tax bills that will be sent in July will be based on a new Grand List and new values for all Norwich properties. A draft of the new values  will be sent to all property owners on or about May 5, 2013 and this will be followed by an informal process during which you will have an opportunity to meet with the Assessor to review your values. This will be followed by the official notice of Grand List values on or about June 1, 2013 followed by the formal grievance process to the Board of Listers.  For the first time your property record card will be on-line so that you can review your structure and property information and see how your property value was determined. There is an IMPORTANT Public Informational Meeting on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 starting at 7:00 pm in the Multipurpose Room at Tracy Hall with Assessor Bill Krajeski to discuss the reappraisal process and to respond to questions related to the reappraisal.

State Rep Cheney Votes For Tax On Bottled Water

Letter: Key Votes in Montpelier
Valley News  
April 27, 2013 
Based on how legislators have voted on important bills in Montpelier, it would appear that the majority of Vermont voters favor higher taxes and more state spending.
Here are scorecards on a couple of bills:
H.528, to expand the Vermont sales tax of 6 percent to bottled water, clothing (including shoes) over $110, candy, soft drinks and dietary supplements, and to increase the tax on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco by 50 cents (total: $3.12) and 88 cents (total: $3.12) respectively. Also, to increase the rooms and meals tax from 9 percent to 9.5 percent for 2014 and to apply the meals tax to food sold out of vending machines. Voting yes: Reps. John Bartholomew, D-Hartland, Sarah Buxton, D-Tunbridge, Margaret Cheney, D-Norwich, Alice Emmons, D-Springfield, Sandy Haas, Progressive/D-Rochester, Cynthia Martin, D-Springfield, James Masland, D-Thetford, Donna Sweaney, D-Windsor, Sheila Vowinkel, D-Hartford, Teo Zagar, D-Barnard.
House Bill 530, to increase state spending by 4.7 percent, which is nearly 21/2 times the rate of inflation. Voting yes: Bartholomew, Buxton, Cheney, Masland, Martin, Kevin Christie, D-Hartford, Alison Clark, D-Woodstock, Sarah Copeland-Hanzas, D-Bradford, Sweaney, Vowinkel and Zagar.
The Valley News could provide a tremendous service to its readers by printing a weekly summary of key bills in both New Hampshire and Vermont and a roll call of votes when the Legislatures are in session. 
Read the rest of the story. 
http://www.vnews.com/opinion/5834075-95/letter-key-votes-in-montpelier

State Senator McCormack Votes To Ban Corporate Campaign Contributions

According to the Progressive Party web site, only one of the three State Senators from Windsor County voted to ban corporate donations from a major campaign finance reform bill. Dick McCormack (D-Windsor) voted for the ban, while John Campbell (D-Windsor) and Alice Nitka (D-Windsor) voted to allow corporate contributions.
Read the rest of the story.


LINKS:
http://www.vnews.com/opinion/5834075-95/letter-key-votes-in-montpelier
http://progressiveparty.org/blog/2013/roll-call-which-senators-chose-corporate-money-over-real-election-reform

The Norwich Observer. Aggregating news and information about Norwich, Vermont with occasional commentary ... .