Town Meeting Resumes, FY 2013 Budget Passed

Town Meeting resumed on Monday evening in the auditorium. The first topic of discussion was the line-by-line voting on Article 9, the 37 motion-long Operating Budget. After some minor tweaking of the language in motions and clarifications, the Fiscal Year Budget for 2013 passed. 

Town Meeting members voted to appropriate $37,884,688 to the school district, which was an increase of $107,297 over what was suggested by the Finance Committee.

Superintendent Bill McAlduff said the increase will pay for new textbooks and material supplies for the students of the five elementary schools, McCall Middle School, and Winchester High School. Some $71,000 will be used for middle and high school textbooks and about $36,000 will be used for elementary school materials.

The motion to increase the school district budget, which was suggested by School Committee Chairman Christopher Linskey, passed by a 102-32 vote.

Here is how Town Meeting voted on several other articles Monday night: 

Article 4: Public shade trees bylaw was postponed until after Article 30.

Article 5: Electronic report distributions of committee reports and warrant articles passed by majority vote.

Article 7: Amend zoning bylaw was postponed indefinitely.

Article 8: Authorize treasurer to borrow money from time to time in anticipation of revenue for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012 with the approval of Town Manager and the Board of Selectmen passed by majority vote.

Article 9: Town operating budget passed by majority vote.

Article 10: Funding for Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School District passed by majority vote. The town appropriated %196,816 to meet its proportionate assessment to the Northeast Vocational Technical School District for the fiscal year, beginning July 1.

Article 11: Funding for Capital and Building Stabilization Funds passed by majority vote.

Article 12: Funding for water and sewer division passed by majority vote.

Article 13: Recreation Department enterprise fund passed by majority vote.

Article 14: Funding for drainage improvements for the Russell Brook Culvert, Woodside Road culvert, Cambridge Street and High Street. Passed by a majority vote.

Article 15: Funding for cemetery permanent care fund passed by majority vote

Article 16: State highway fund for maintenance, repair, alteration, relocation or other improvements of Town or Country ways passed by majority vote

Town Meeting adjourned at 10:30 p.m. and will resume on Thursday, May 10.