Why I changed my mind

• The location is ideal. One private property sits directly beside the Town’s existing police and fire property, and this is it.
• The reports came first. The consultant reports were finished before 370 Church Street became available. Whatever anyone thinks of those reports, they were not written around this property.
• The financing terms are great. Guilford can borrow at municipal rates and spread the purchase over many years. Even if taxes had to cover every penny, my estimate below shows a very small increase on an individual tax bill.
• Purchasing this is not approval of a police project. If a renovation or new station comes back later and voters think it is a bad plan or costs too much, voters can absolutely put the kibosh on it then.
• Owning it could save money. The building might give police somewhere to work during a future renovation, avoiding millions in costs associated with building around an occupied station. Other possibilities include another Town use, a combined campus plan, or a later sale.

Here’s a map to show how perfect the location is

Police and fire are directly adjacent. Church Street, which is Route 77, and I-95 are also adjacent. The property sits right at the I-95 Exit 58 interchange.

The location and opportunity really are superb. From what I have been told, the Town would want this property even without the police station project. The property sits beside existing municipal land and has an office building that I have been told is in good shape and could serve several purposes as is.

What this vote actually does

A yes vote approves buying 370 Church Street while it is available. No renovation, new police station, or other building project gets approved with it. Voters can still say no to any of those plans later. When that day comes, I plan to ask for plenty of details, including why things are needed and why they cost what they do.

There is one thing I have to trust

At the September 3 meeting, townspeople had a lot of questions about the building’s condition and other details. I have to trust that the Town’s chain of approvals, including the staff, boards, attorneys, and other people involved, did their diligence. After going to the meeting and talking directly with the people involved, I am comfortable doing that.

Buying property is not unusual for Guilford

Guilford regularly purchases property for public purposes. The Town owns open space and green space, along with the property next to the Community Center that it wants to turn into parking. Buying 370 Church Street is not some strange new thing. Its direct connection to municipal land Guilford already owns makes this particular property stand out.

I am shelving my police-station concerns for now

My concerns about the consultant proposals have not gone away, and I do not support approving them now. Any renovation or replacement proposal will bring plenty of time for questions and scrutiny. Voters can reject it if the plan or price does not make sense.

Right now, the focus has to be 370 Church Street. My understanding from speaking with Town officials is that the owner accepted the Town’s below-market offer, and the agreement gives the Town a limited amount of time to complete the purchase. Debating a police project that is not on this ballot could cost the Town a uniquely useful property.

A police-station debate will come later. I do not believe Town leaders intend to treat this purchase as permission for an expensive new station. A new police station will most likely be proposed. Buying this property does not presume that it will be the only option for the police station, or that voters must approve ANYTHING proposed for the police station.

This could actually SAVE the Town money

The consultant’s $19.9 million renovation concept includes a 15% contingency for doing construction around an occupied police station. The report says that contingency can be removed if police can operate somewhere else during the work.

Could the office at 370 Church be that temporary space? Maybe. The building is close and already exists. Using it as a temporary police station would obviously have costs. A workable temporary solution could still make renovating some or all of the current station cost a heck of a lot less than doing the work while the Police Department occupies it.

If having somewhere else for the police to work avoids more than $1.77 million in extra renovation costs, the savings could cover the purchase price. If it avoids more than that, buying the property could leave the overall project cheaper than renovating the current station while everybody is still working inside it. If the current police station can be renovated for less by using this property as temporary space, the Town can always sell the property after the police station is updated. Any money recovered through a later sale would make the effective savings from the purchase even greater.

Temporary police use is only my idea. As far as I know, the Town has not formally studied it because the property came up for sale after the consultant proposals were complete. If voters approve the purchase, I expect the Town and its consultants to consider the idea and explain what they find.

How the Town pays for stuff like this

I did not understand this before, and the Town does not explain bonds especially clearly. In 2022, voters approved up to $10 million in borrowing for property purchases. That is a borrowing limit, not $10 million sitting in an account. Voters still approve each purchase.

My understanding is that the Town can use cash it already has to close an approved deal. Later, Guilford sells bonds, which is the equivalent of getting a long-term loan for cash. Money from that sale replaces the cash, and the Town pays the debt off over time with interest.

Towns usually borrow on better terms than people or businesses. Guilford’s promise and ability to collect taxes make its bonds relatively low risk to investors. The investors lending the Town money can also receive favorable tax treatment on municipal-bond interest. That benefit makes the bonds more attractive to lenders and helps Guilford receive better rates and terms.

What might this bond actually cost?

These are my rough numbers, not a quote from the Town. I assumed the full $1.77 million is borrowed for 20 years at 4% interest and that taxes cover the entire payment, with no spending decrease or other Town revenue offsetting it. For example, if the grand list grows, a larger tax base would share the financing cost and reduce its effect on an individual taxpayer.

The bond uses fixed payments, similar to a fixed-rate mortgage. Payments stay the same over 20 years. Under those assumptions, it would be about $130,300 every year. The total would be about $2.61 million, including roughly $835,000 in interest.

What that could mean for your current tax bill

Type in what you currently pay each year in Town real-estate taxes. The calculation assumes taxpayers cover 100% of the bond payment, with no spending decrease or other Town revenue offsetting it.

Fixed payments also tend to feel smaller as years pass. Prices, incomes, property values, and the tax base often rise while the payment stays the same. In plain English, $10 paid ten years from now is usually a smaller piece of the overall picture than $10 paid today. Finance people call that the time value of money.

The real bond payment could differ if the Town borrows less than the full price, uses a different interest rate or term, receives a bond premium, or adds issuance costs related to this property.

When the police project comes back, I’ll have questions

None of these are conditions for buying 370 Church Street. I expect answers before voters are ever asked to approve a major police renovation or a new building.

• A bare-minimum needs plan for the current police building
• An explanation of every item being called a “need”
• Detailed backup and justification for every proposed price
• A real comparison of repair, renovation, and replacement

I am very ready to dig into all of that when there is an actual police project to evaluate. The decision now is whether to buy a uniquely located property that will give the Town more options, some of which may cost less, when that conversation happens.

Do not take my word for any of this. If you want to research it, go to Guilford’s website and look through the material there. Even better, talk to Town officials directly. Go to a meeting, ask questions, and ask them to explain anything that does not make sense. Those conversations changed my mind.