Town Meeting may be over, but residents of one town are still trying to find a way to cut down their budget. St. Johnsbury resident Nancy Carthwright was one of the almost 70 people that showed up to Wednesday's budget workshop with plenty of ideas. Cartwright said, "I think really we are in a time when we've got to shrink government, it's really that simple." Tony Greenwood, also of St. Johnsbury, thought that the jobs of the town should be categorized and given pay grades, that way they could cap the limits on what a certain job can make over a period of time.

St. Johnsbury town manager Mike Welch felt that, "Unless you're counting my job as a menial task, there's nobody else that's making, and I certainly respect your opinion, if that's what it is, but I just what to respond that we do not have employees doing menial tasks making $75,000 a year." Which led Sandra Grenier, town clerk, to state, "When we're talking about being overpaid, the census bureau has this out they're hiring at $13.50 and hour, $0.50 a mile travel, I have a girl in my office, she's been there 11 years and she makes $12.85."

Welch proposed cuts that he said would not reduce the town services. The Selectboard wanted a 5% tax reduction from last year. Welch said, "Given the recommendations that I've made here tonight and put forward to everyone in the review the total reduction in taxes would be $91,380 so we've met that 5% reduction in property tax." The board adopted Welch's suggestions and hopes to schedule a re-vote in April.

News 7's Dylan Schlossberg has the details.