AVON — Road construction and repairs are the primary drivers behind a 16 percent budget increase that will be put before voters at Saturday’s annual town meeting.

Action on the 55 warrant articles is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the Town Office.

The 2019 budget, which covers January through December, is about $280,000, or some $40,000 more than 2018, according to First Selectman Greta Espeaignnette.

“We work very hard on keeping the budget increases as low as possible,” she said.

“We plan ahead to pay for bigger projects by creating accounts and building them over a few years to complete them without raising taxes. Unfortunately, our savings account isn’t quite large enough this time to cover all required repairs.”

Projects this year include the Mt. Blue Road and Bob Orbeton Road bridge. A $9,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for damage from last fall’s storm will offset some of the costs, Espeaignnette said.

Voters will be asked to approve using $30,000 from excise taxes and raising another $20,000 to hire a contractor to plow and sand winter roads.

Voters will also be asked to spend $30,000 to contract with Phillips and Strong for fire protection, up $5,000 from 2018, and $25,000 to use the Phillips transfer station for trash disposal and recycling, the same amount as last year.

Property valuations will need to be updated within three years, so selectmen have recommended adding $10,000 to the $10,737 carried over from 2018.

Additionally, Avon’s share of the School Administrative District 58 budget is expected to increase from the $452,942 the town paid for 2018-19.

The town meeting will also see nominations from the floor for a selectman, a school director, the treasurer, a tax collector, a constable and a road commissioner. All but the selectman and school director have one-year terms.

Selectman Jerry Gilchrist has indicated his willingness to serve three more years. Wendy Warnock is not seeking another three years as a school director.

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