ROXBURY — Residents have approved up to $208,386 in funding from the Roxwind TIF account for several projects, including community snowmobile trail maintenance and building upgrades.

Some 50 residents attended a hour-long special town meeting on Oct. 14, approving everything presented, according to Board Chairman Tim Derouche.

He noted that the entirety of the money is coming from the TIF account. Tax Increment Financing is a public financing tool used to spur development by using future tax increments from increased property values to fund current improvements.

Derouche said the Roxwind TIF account is from the last four wind towers installed at South Twin Mountain, situated off Horseshoe Valley Road.

The TIF account had built up to $832,000 prior to the meeting, including $336,000 for 2025.

Much of what was appropriated will go to three clubs:

• $56,672 for the Slippery Sliders Snowmobile Club for trail repair at the end of the Bunker Pond Trail, building kiosk signs and maintaining the park and ride.
• $49,714 to fund a grant to the Roxbury ATV Riders for enhancing the Coley Trail, including installation of culverts, gravel and signage, and seed and hay as needed. It’s located in the area behind Gallant’s Furniture on the Roxbury Notch Road.
• $50,000 to fund a grant to the Silver Lake Campowners Association for the newly-purchased former church, which is being refurbished into a community center. The money will go towards replacing the roof, and ADA door and ramp, washing, painting, paving and upgrading the electrical system. They’re looking to have a kitchen, hold meetings and have cribbage, among other activities.

Derouche said the town created non-profit TIF funding agreement for the three clubs. With the agreement, the town, for the first three years, would pay 70 percent of a project, as long as it fits the criteria in the application, and the club would have to match with their 30 percent. The fourth year, the town would go 60-40 for a project, then thereafter, it would be 50-50 for approved projects.

Further, each club can get up to $50,000 a year, with the stipulation that the total the town can award is no more 50 percent of what the annual amount to Roxbury is for the Roxwind TIF account.

“Because we’re a small town (population 361), TIF monies go towards business enhancement and we can also do ‘saving the lake’ projects,” Derouche said.

He said the attitude of the town is that they don’t want the town to get much bigger, but they want to enhance what they have. “And we are a recreation town, and we want to help the snowmachine club, the ATV club and campowners association,” he said.

Residents at the special town meeting also approved using up to $50,000 out of the TIF account for engineering a proposed veterans memorial. The town had earlier approved the construction of a veterans memorial at 1095 Roxbury Road, near the town office, which was requested by the Roxbury Community Historical Society. Derouche said they have two quotes currently to do the engineering for the project.

He said the town, working together with the historical society, asked to oversee the project, “but the historical society is doing most of the legwork.”

Derouche, also the vice president of the memorial committee, noted that even though it’s referred to as a veterans memorial it will be a remembrance memorial. “Remembrance in that we’re going to recognize every veteran that has to do with Roxbury, past and present,” he said.

Residents approved starting engineering for a large culvert on the Gorham Street crossing on Medawisla Way on the east side of Silver Lake. It’s one of four culverts the town wants to replace around the lake.

Derouche said that after the December 2023 flood and subsequent flooding, the town needed the larger culverts.

“The engineering will reveal the cost of the project, which will then go out to bid,” he said.

Derouche said permission was granted to continue to pursue two tracts of land available for purchase, which would then be presented again to residents if negotiations are successful, with plans to use TIF funds if purchased.

One would be to purchase about 100 acres owned by Caroline Lawler behind the town office. “That would be an option for the future if we needed a new fire station, for example, along with the clubs because there’s trails up there,” said Derouche.

The other would be to purchase 16 acres from Diana Worthley for an ATV and/or snowmobile club building, or a gas station. That land is located right off Route 120 after turning from Frye Crossover to Roxbury.

The 11th and final article was the approval of $15,000 in TIF money for an account for town legal fees.