The special town meeting section kicks off. The High School auditorium is packed.
The three special town meeting articles passes unanimously. Next up: Annual Town Meeting at 7:30.
The 2025 Town Meeting has been called to order.
Article 1 passes. This was the acceptance of annual reports.
Article 2 is the report of committee and state officials. Rep. David DeCoste gave an update on the state budget. Article 2 passes.
Article 3, 4, 5 and 6 pass.
Article 7 appropriates funding from the Community Preservation Fund. The CPA is a tax surcharge that can only be used for specific purposes, including housing and open space. The article passes without comment.
We're now getting to Article 8. This is the General Fund operating budget article that would set the town budget "contingent upon an override being rejected and the levy limit not being increased." Emmanuel Dockter clarifies that the town has to have an operating budget. "We can't just vote'no' and move on. At the end of the day, we have to make some decision." He now clarifying the mechanics of the budget at town meeting vs. the override vote that will be held later this month.
Dockter laid out a dire budget scenario for the town, noting severe cuts in the absence of an override.
A number of questions on the snow and ice budget. Next year's budget increases it from $400,000 to $750,000 to meet expected costs. Note that earlier in the evening, special town meeting appropriated $220,000 to address a shortfall in that account for the current year.
Motion made to reduce the snow and ice budget by $200,000 and transfer it to the school budget line.
The motion overwhelming fails.
Article 8, the base budget, passes unanimously.
Now to Article 9. This is the budget contingent on an override vote.
Dockter is now going through the Advisory Committee's rationale for cutting the recommendations of the town manager, even in the override budget (Article 9). He says that their goal was to create "excess levy capacity," the difference between what the town can tax and what the town does tax. A big topic for both budget conversations is the Plymouth County Retirement Board assessment, which is slated to balloon to $9 million in coming years. It was noted that Plymouth County officials could have voted to reduce this budren by adjusting the actuarial tables but chose not to.
The Advisory Committee, Select Board, and School Committee chairs are each currently voicing their support for the override budget.
Questions and comments have started on Article 9. First one is on the TIFF agreement between the town and Hanover Crossing.
A motion was made to increase the school budget by 1.27M by transferring funds from free cash, the excess levy capacity, and the Advisory Committe fund. The motion was made by school committee member Libby Corbo. She criticized the Advisory Committee for making budget adjustments without consulting the school committee.
Corbo is now nearly 15 minutes into a speech about school funding. She criticized both the Advisory Committee and the majority of the School Committee members who voted for the budget in Article 9.
After nealry 50 minutes of debate, Corbo's motion fails. The meeting voted to close debate before the motion failed.
We're back to discussing the main motion: still on Article 9.
An earlier comment about teacher pay really struck a nerve in the room. Lots of comments now in support of teachers and the teaching profession in general.
Article 9 passes. That's the override budget. It still requires voter approval in the upcoming town election to become a reality.
Lots of folks are leaving after the budget vote, which received nearly unanimous support.
Article 10 passes.
Article 11 passes.
Article 12 passes.
Article 13 passes.
Article 14 passes.
Article 15 passes.
Article 16 passes.
Article 17 passes.
Article 18 passes.
Article 19 passes. The meeting is moving swiftly with little comment on any of the articles passed after the budget.
