AVON – This Saturday, townspeople will nail down whether or not they want to purchase a former building supply store and transform it into a community building.

Avon’s three selectmen have recommended townspeople buy the former Mt. Blue Builder’s Supply, which has an asking price of $105,000, said First Selectman Joyce Potter.

That includes a large building that houses a retail showroom, a lumber warehouse and two acres of land. The building supply store, owned by Gary and Jackie Patnode of Rangeley, who also own the Rangeley Lakes Builders Supply, closed in 2003.

If purchased, the building would house the town office and a community hall. There would also be garage space for the town to store its equipment. Currently, there is no town garage.

The purchase would be aided by $102,000 from an Urban Development Action Grant the town received years ago. There is now $340,417 in that account.

The remaining few thousand dollars would come from the town’s surplus and be used to renovate the inside of the building that would be the town office as required by the grant specifications.

If that passes, the future of the current town office located in the Avon Town House will be discussed by voters.

There is a lot of sentiment attached to the town house, which used to be a school house, Potter said.

With the recent closings of Lauri Toys and the Mt. Blue Builders Supply, accounting for a total of more than 40 jobs and lots of tax revenue lost, selectmen tried to be sensitive when developing the budget.

The result is a proposed savings and what Potter calls a “bare-bones budget. We cut out anything we could cut,” she said.

The amount proposed by selectmen to be raised from taxes, not including school or county tax, is $134,794.61. That’s down about $6,000 from last year’s approved amount of $140,887.60.

County tax is expected to be about $29,000 and Avon’s portion of the SAD 58 budget about $300,000.

Voters will tackle 57 articles at the Saturday meeting, which usually lasts about three hours. About 70 people usually show up.

Running unopposed for a three-year term as third selectman is incumbent Martin Curtis. Longtime Town Clerk Mary Dunham, Health Officer Vicki Plog, Constable Bruce Dunham, Road Commissioner Rocky Potter, Tax Collector Steve Weiner and Treasurer Cindy Dixon all will be running, without contest, for one-year terms.

Meanwhile, Avon’s current representative to the SAD 58 board, Cindy Dixon, is not seeking re-election citing other commitments. Her position is up for grabs and nominations will be accepted from the floor.

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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