To the editor:

Last November at a special town meeting the townspeople voted to proceed with changing the fiscal operating year to July 1 through June 30.

In order to get to the new fiscal year two things will occur: first, a budget for a six-month transitional period will be brought before a town meeting set for Saturday, March 6, 2010. This budget will be for basic municipal services from Jan. 1, 2010 through June 30, 2010. A tax bill for this 6- month period, (which should be one half or less than one half of your normal annual bill), will be mailed in the spring of 2010, payable also in the spring. This we refer to as a “6-month year,” a necessary part in making the transition. Secondly, the annual town meeting will be held on the first Saturday in June, (June 5, 2010). From this point forward each annual town meeting will be in June.

Please note –-in no case will you be making more tax payments than you currently make. The six-month tax payment will be due in the spring. In the fall of 2010, when you would normally pay a full year’s tax, only one half of that tax is due. Your total tax payments in 2010 will be about the same as you would pay in any one year. This begins the process of implementing two payments for a single tax bill.

Changing a process that we have become accustomed to for so many years may seem difficult; however, the townspeople initiated this change and voted on it to pass in the best interests of the Town of Kingfield and its taxpayers.

If you have any questions, please contact me at the town office at 265-4637.
Douglas Marble
Assistant to the Kingfield Selectmen