SWANTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The village of Swanton is going back to the drawing board after voters rejected a Town Meeting Day request for a new public safety building.
The village of Swanton is once again looking into how to fund a public safety building after voters rejected a $14 million bond measure Tuesday.
“I would like to see it be more fiscally responsible. I was also worried about the tax implications for education,” said local resident Kevin Dwyer.
“Very supportive of them getting an updated new space. They do a remarkable job here in town. They do need more room than what they are limited to right now, especially the ambulance and fire department,” said Ralph Blackmer, who voted for the proposed building next to the existing village municipal building. “We have to kind of take the bull by the horns and support them in any way that we can. But I don’t think cutting it by half is going to fulfill the needs they are looking to fill.”
The village purchased the property for the new building for about $400,000 through federal ARPA funds in 2023. But with rising infrastructure costs, school budgets, and other taxes, village officials knew it would be a hard pill to swallow for voters.
Swanton Village Manager Bill Sheets says they will now try to reorganize how the current space is used. “In all likelihood, we will look to move a section of the organization out over to 124. Then, in all likelihood, look to plan to expand the police department here,” he said.
Swanton Village Police Chief Matthew Sullivan says the change in plans will cut the cost of the project in half and that the original proposal was an attempt to help the department grow and expand services to the town. “As far as the renovation here, it would just be a matter of creating more space for us, creating proper holding cells, a proper sally port so that we would have the ability to eventually expand. I mean, I would love to see the town take us on as a full-service operation,” he said.
Officials hope to put forward a new proposal for voters to consider for either November or next Town Meeting Day.
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