Voters Asked To Fund Improvements to Woodstock Courthouse

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Two assistant judges in Windsor County are trying to drum up support for making improvements to the county’s civil courthouse in Woodstock.

The judges say the building is not well protected against fire or security breaches. Assistant Judge Jack Anderson says the court house violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

"Mostly we’re driven by ADA non compliance and security needs and life safety needs, the building is inadequate in all those ways," Anderson says.

Anderson says the bond would raise property taxes by only about $5 a year for ten years on, say, a $200,000 property. But not everyone is in favor of the plan. Ken Parker chairs Hartford’s select board. He says many towns, including his own, have more pressing needs right now.

"It’s probably pretty low on my priority list for example, as a taxpayer. I think there are things in my community that I want to address and have taken care of before I pay even a small amount of money for something that there’s relatively little benefit that I can see directly affecting me," Parker

Parker says Hartford voters will be asked to approve two much bigger bond issues: a $4.9 million municipal building renovation, and a nearly $9 million upgrade to athletic facilities.

But he hopes the Woodstock courthouse renovations will be approved in the future when, the economy gets stronger. 

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