Last modified: Friday, January 11, 2008 12:58 AM EST Budgets, buildings face Norfolk in '08 BY STEPHEN PETERSON SUN CHRONICLE STAFF NORFOLK Budget matters and building projects top the list of issues facing the town for the coming year. Heading the list of building work are a new elementary school to replace the Freeman-Centennial School, which has been placed on a coveted list for state funding assistance, an expanded and renovated public safety building and a recreation building. "We have several major construction projects, but a new school and public safety building would be foremost issues next year," Selectman James Lehan said. "They are in planning stages, but we want to move them along." Funding - at least for architectural services - for the public safety building is expected to be requested this spring. "We would like to come in May with a unified capital plan," Lehan said. "The goal for the spring town meeting is to present a master view of what this means to the community. We want everyone to know what is on the horizon." Selectmen and school committee members had recently met in a joint session and discussed the possibility of turning Olive Day School into a public safety facility and building a larger elementary school to replace both existing local schools. That option is apparently now history. "Olive Day will remain a school," Lehan said. Local officials had expressed concerns the state would not come through with school assistance money if a fairly new school the state helped pay for is turned into another use. Also, town and school officials have been hit with opposition from parents to such a move. Olive Day opened in 1994 but part of Freeman-Centennial dates back to the 1950s. An updated and expanded public safety building to replace the aged and cramped building off Main Street has been planned for years. The town has just acquired additional land adjacent to the building for that purpose. A recreation building is likely down the list from the other two building needs, but Lehan points out his board is "fully supportive" of the building. It is expected to be another extremely tight year money-wise for the fiscal year starting July 1. "Every year is a tight budget. The last two years we cut just about everything we could cut," Lehan said. "We want to maintain community services," Lehan said, adding that a Proposition 2 budget override is possible. "If we have to bring that to voters to maintain services, we will do that. We will explore options every way we can to minimize tax increases." A new financial advisory committee made up of residents who have had no involvement with local government is offering a fresh perspective in that area. The town continues to be a hotbed for residential and now some commercial growth in two planned industrial parks that is highly desired to ease the burden on residential taxpayers. "We experienced some growth but not overwhelming," Lehan said of residential building. "New growth is down but relative to other communities, it actually held its own." The town's tax base runs about 6 percent commercial, and local officials have a desired goal of about 15 percent. Selectmen say they will more seriously consider a split tax rate for homes and businesses next year. "We are getting close where we can begin implementing a split tax rate," Lehan said. Expanding affordable housing is another key issue to be tackled in a community where the average home is valued at $461,200. NORFOLK POPULATION: 9,561 TAX RATE: $12.78 per $1,000 valuation FORM OF GOVERNMENT: three selectmen, town administrator, town meeting Town hall: 1 Liberty Lane, 528-1400 SCHOOLS: two elementary schools, regional middle and high schools Schools: Olive Day, 508-541-5475. Freeman-Centennial, 508-528-1266. King Philip Middle School, 508-541-7324. King Philip Regional High School, 508-384-1000. WEB SITE: www.virtualnorfolk.org Issues: school and public safety facilities budget for upcoming fiscal year tax burden on homeowners affordable housing