Following a presentation of the project timeline and discussion with residents, the Town Board voted unanimously to proceed with the bid phase of the new Town Hall building. A payment of $52,900 to LaBella Associates was approved to complete the design and bid documents. LaBella will also receive $3,700 for management of the bidding process.

“We’re not kicking the can down the road,” Town Board member Chris Jackson said.

The new Town Hall would be built on the land behind the current Town Hall, which would then be demolished. McAvoy hopes to receive bids in the coming months with work to begin in 2026, if possible. Plans for the new Town Hall are available at the Town Clerk’s office.

Like McAvoy, Town Board member Larry Ball said that in his time on the Board, residents have consistently pushed for a new Town Hall. Ball said of a new Town Hall for the taxpayers of Arkwright, “They deserve to have a decent place to come get their questions answered.”

Pictured is the plan for a new Town Hall/Community Center in the town of Arkwright, designed by LaBella Associates.

A group of residents nearly filled the room of the current Town Hall to witness McAvoy’s presentation. Once the new building is constructed, there will be much more room for everyone to spread out and sit comfortably, as the plans call for several spacious rooms for operation.

“We want it to be more than just a Town Hall,” McAvoy said.

McAvoy knows that the cost to build a new Town Hall/Community Center is substantial, and he did not dodge that fact at all. The expected cost of the building is approximately $1.4 million. McAvoy presented the cost of the proposed project and provided a breakdown for the town’s median taxpayers, as well as a detailed financial outlook moving forward.

McAvoy acknowledged that tax relief is a reasonable ask. However, since 2018, the tax rate in the town of Arkwright has decreased 22% from $11.89 per thousand in 2018 to $9.24 per thousand in 2025. Of the 1,237 total parcels in the town, 513 properties pay approximately 80% of the total town tax levy. The median assessed value of those 513 properties is $50,900, including farms and land assessed at over $20,000. For a property assessed at that median figure of $50,900, the annual town of Arkwright tax would be $471.

McAvoy stated that town taxes amount to approximately 14% of the total tax bill that residents receive each year, while school taxes are approximately 50% of the bill. With the town tax accounting for a relatively small portion of residents’ total tax bill, coupled with the fact that taxes have decreased substantially since 2018, McAvoy believes that it is time for the residents to get something substantial in return for the money they spend each year.

Pictured the Town Hall as it is today. Arkwright officials are moving ahead to build a new town hall.

Jamie Hebner, a Town Highway employee said at a previous meeting, “An overwhelming amount of people in this town want something built here.” Hebner said that many residents did not want to see the wind turbines come to Arkwright, but now that they are here, it would be “a waste of time” if the Town did not utilize the money generated from hosting the wind turbines to go toward something for the residents.

Jackson added of a new Town Hall at the latest meeting, “For putting up with the wind turbines, I think everybody in the town deserves a Town Hall and deserves a place to go.”

There are four major sources of revenue for the town of Arkwright, none bigger than the host community agreement payments from the wind turbines hosted by the town. Property taxes are a close second, at 27% of the total budget revenue, followed by sales tax distribution and CHIPS money for the Highway Department. Once the fourth quarter distribution of sales tax is received, the Town of Arkwright expects to enter 2026 with approximately $1.3 million of cash on hand. In 2026, the Town expects to receive approximately $1.2 million in revenue from its four major sources of income.

The Town is eyeing a “bare bones” Highway Department spend in 2026, amounting to roughly $900,000. The roads will still be plowed and maintained, but no new hard top roads will be implemented and payments on the new single axle truck will be pushed off until 2027. The Highway Department accounts for approximately 85% of the spending of the Town.

The Town feels comfortable with its “bare bones” plan for 2026 for two main reasons. First, the roads have been improved in recent years to be in a better condition than ever before town-wide, with plans to continue improving the conditions beyond 2026. Second, with a 20-year life expectancy on the wind turbines, approximately $4.6 million in revenue will still be coming to the Town in future years.

Once the new Town Hall building is completed, coupled with the recently completed Highway Department Building addition, approximately $2.7 million will have been spent on what McAvoy defined as “generational buildings” in the Town. That figure amounts to approximately 1/3 of the total wind turbine revenue.

Currently, in 36 square miles of Arkwright, there is no other public meeting space for residents to gather. The former Grange Hall fell into disrepair, and there is no other building that serves the needs of residents like a Community Center would. McAvoy hopes that the new Town Hall could be used as an emergency shelter if needed, as well as a public space to be reserved for gatherings. McAvoy hopes building a new Town Hall/Community Center will entice more people to view Arkwright as a great place to build a new home.

The most notable point of discussion at the recent open meeting centered around the Justice Court. The new Town Hall would have substantial space dedicated to the Justice Court, which is not a substantial source of revenue for the Town. McAvoy defended the presence of a Town Court, stating that it is a service that residents benefit from by handling Town matters locally, rather than relying on another municipality.

“I think the people want it and I think the people deserve it,” McAvoy said.

Town Board member Polly Gambino urged McAvoy and the rest of the Board to seek more information on the cost of the Justice Court as it pertains to the new building. Gambino wants to further evaluate the Town’s options pertaining to the location of the Justice Court.

Later in the meeting, the Town Board authorized an application to the Justice Court Assistance Program seeking grant funding up to $30,000 for improvements to the Town’s Justice Court.

Town Historian Ruth Nichols urged the Town to move forward with the new building. She highlighted that she keeps her files and documents at home, like many employees of the Town have over the course of many years. The new building would be a centralized location with dedicated office space for all employees to operate.

Following McAvoy’s presentation, one resident said, “I was skeptical on the $1.4 million price tag of this, but when I see what’s going on and what you’re doing, I think you guys got it very well under control here. I think you’re doing good, and if it ain’t the right time to build it, when is the right time?”

McAvoy agreed. He stated, “If we don’t build now, then I think we really have to start taking a hard look at what else do we not do?”

Another resident added, “It’s way overdue, and we do deserve it.”