SOUTH HADLEY —Voters will be asked to approve a nearly $52 million town budget for the next fiscal year along with many other financial items at Town Meeting on Wednesday, including $2.24 million in capital spending.
The annual Town Meeting begins at 6 p.m. at South Hadley High School.
Other warrant articles up for debate include an updated town master plan, fixing stormwater management bylaws to be in compliance with state law, the creation of a town Human Rights Commission, and inserting a bylaw to “allow and efficiently regulate” mobile food vendors in town.
The annual operating budget is $2.35 million higher than the previous fiscal year, with that money coming from $1 million in state aid increases, a tax levy increase of $1 million, a $125,000 increase in local receipts and $185,000 increase in the use of enterprise funds, according to Town Administrator Lisa Wong’s budget message to town meeting.
The School Department will see an increase of $1.15 million if the budget is approved in its current form. Other areas that will see increases include $122,000 added to the town’s capital stabilization fund, $200,000 to the Mosier School stabilization fund, $200,000 for general government operations such as adding an assistant town clerk position, a $500,000 bump in retirement and health insurance costs, $140,000 in parks and highway work and some $90,000 in additional police funding, much of which is for additional training.
Several warrant articles will ask Town Meeting to approve the funding of capital expenditures.
One article would allow the town to use $1.67 million in unreserved free cash to make purchases, repairs or replacements across town.
The projects to be funded with free cash would include: $675,000 for drainage and HVAC work at the high school, which this fall had a massive mold infestation; $90,000 for repairs to the Police Department roof, another $132,000 for that building’s HVAC system, $124,000 for police vehicles and $14,000 for police LED lights; $100,000 for digital document and data preservation work; $85,000 for a van for the Council on Aging, which is offering free transportation for seniors; $20,000 for accessibility fixes at the library; $65,000 for the removal of the Queensville Dam; and other projects, vehicles and equipment.
Another article will ask the town to use funds from its wastewater enterprise retained earnings to make $515,000 in purchases, repairs and replacements. Two others would allow the town to use earnings from the Ledges Golf Club to make $125,600 in repairs and replacements.
If approved, one article will lead to the creation of a nine-member town Human Rights Commission, which would work to “increase mutual respect, harmonious intergroup relations and peaceful enjoyment of life” in town.
The commission would work with town government to increase diversity and awareness of human and civil rights issues, would respond to complaints from people who say those rights have been violated in town and give people referrals and information about how to proceed if they feel there has been unlawful discrimination in town.
Finally, another would create a new “Mobile Food Vendor Bylaw” in order to allow for the use of food trucks, trailers and carts in town.
Dusty Christensen can be reached at dchristensen@gazettenet.com.