TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2013, 7:30 P.M.

LOWER LEVEL MEETING ROOM

ASHFORD TOWN OFFICES

            The electors and citizens qualified to vote in Town Meetings in the Town of Ashford, Connecticut are hereby notified and warned that a Special Town Meeting/Annual Budget Meeting will be held in the Lower Level Meeting Room, Ashford Town Offices, 5 Town Hall Road, Ashford, CT. on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.

The agenda for the Special Town Meeting/Annual Budget Meeting is as follows:

1. To choose a moderator for said meeting; and

1. To approve an ordinance authorizing the Board of Selectmen, acting as agents for the Town of Ashford, to apply for and receive any state or federal grants that may become available and that appear to them to be in the best interest of the Town of Ashford; and

1. To determine whether to make an appropriation in the amount of $2,910,608 for the General Government budget, and $398,000 for the Capital Improvement budgets of the Town of Ashford for the fiscal year 2013-2014. The total appropriation to be $3,308,608; and

1. To determine whether to make an appropriation in the amount of $7,035,706 for the Ashford Board of Education budget for the fiscal year 2013-2014; and

1. To determine whether to make an appropriation in the amount of $3,611,262 for Regional School district #19 for fiscal year 2013-2014.

Copies of the proposed ordinance entitled “State and Federal Grants” is available for review in the Office of the Town Clerk, Town of Ashford, 5 Town Hall Road, Ashford, Connecticut 06278.

Copies of the proposed appropriations budgets are available for review in the Office of the Town Clerk, Town of Ashford, 5 Town Hall Road, Ashford, Connecticut  06278.

NOTE:  Pursuant to Section 7-7 of the General Statutes of Connecticut, Revision of 1958, as amended, no vote will be taken at said Special Town Meeting/Annual Budget Meeting upon items #3, #4 and #5.  Rather, these items may be discussed at the meeting and shall be submitted to vote upon voting machines at the Knowlton Memorial Hall on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

All persons qualified to vote in Town Meetings shall cast their votes for approval or disapproval of the foregoing items in the form of the following questions (a vote of “YES” being a vote for approval, a vote of “NO” being a vote for disapproval).

QUESTION ONE

Shall the Town of Ashford appropriate the sum of $3,308,608 to fund the General Government, and Capital Improvement budgets for the fiscal year 2013-2014?

QUESTION TWO

Shall the Town of Ashford appropriate the sum of $7,035,706 to fund the Ashford Board of Education budget for the fiscal year 2013-2014?

QUESTION THREE

Shall the Town of Ashford appropriate the sum of $3,611,262 to fund Ashford’s share of the fiscal year 2013-2014 Regional School District #19 budget?

The referendum to vote on questions #1, #2 and #3 will be held at Knowlton Memorial Hall, 25 Pompey Hollow Road, Ashford, Connecticut on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Voting machines will be used.

Absentee ballots will be available in the Town Clerk’s Office during regular office hours and will become available on Wednesday, April 24, 2013.

Ralph H. Fletcher                    Michael J. Zambo           William A. Falletti

First Selectman                        Selectman                      Selectman

MR. CANAVAN MOVED AND MR. FUNK SECONDED A MOTION TO TRANSFER $613,350.43 FROM THE UNDESIGNATED FUND BALANCE:  $607,500.00 INTO ACCOUNT NUMBER 110-73000-59435-000 USDA WATERLINE PRINCIPAL FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAYING THE PRINCIPAL IN FULL ON THE USDA 2000 LOAN AND $5,850.43 INTO ACCOUNT NUMBER 110-73000-59434-000 USDA WATERLINE INTEREST FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAYING INTEREST DUE ON USDA 2000 LOAN THROUGH APRIL 16, 2013.  THE MOTION PASSED WITH EVERYONE VOTING AFFIRMATIVELY.

MS. EASTWOOD MOVED AND MS. CERCENA SECONDED A MOTION TO TRANSFER $66,543.67 FROM THE UNDESIGNATED FUND BALANCE INTO ACCOUNT NUMBER 110-92000-59980-000 BOND ISSUANCE COSTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAYING INVOICES RELATED TO GENERAL OBLIGATION REFUNDING BONDS, ISSUE OF 2013.  THE MOTION PASSED WITH EVERYONE VOTING AFFIRMATIVELY.

Information provided by Cathryn Silver-Smith, Chairperson