Over 90 registered voters attended Huntington’s Annual Town Meeting on Monday. (Photo by Amy Porter)
HUNTINGTON – 92 registered voters attended the Huntington Annual Town Meeting on Monday evening to vote on a town budget of nearly $5 million, including the Gateway Regional school budget, and on 25 separate amendments.
Just prior to the 7 p.m. start of the meeting, selectman John McVeigh read the dedication of the 2016 annual report honoring Norwich Hill resident Ruth Pardoe. Pardoe was cited for her volunteer work for the Gateway High School Library and the Friends of the Huntington Public Library. She also helped to develop the town’s Open Space Plan, and has served on the Hilltown Land Trust and the Green Committee.
Following the Annual Report dedication, Huntington selectman John McVeigh presented Ruth Pardoe with flowers in honor of Pardoe’s volunteer work for the town. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Most especially, Pardoe is known for her contributions to the restoration of The Historic North Hall, and for her dream of a summer Arts Festival hosting music, theater, spoken word, dance and visual arts, now entering its eighth season at North Hall.
“My late husband (David Pardoe) started the work about 20 years ago. He went in there when it hadn’t been used in years, and started pulling down the ceiling, and found under it the wood from the 1800’s. We were both retired, so we kept working on it. We didn’t have any money to spend on it, so we’d get a window a year. Now all the windows have been replaced, and it looks good. It sparkles,” Pardoe said about the restored 1795 school house, one of the two oldest buildings in Huntington. Pardoe said she was surprised and pleased by the honor.
Most of the line items in the town budget were approved unanimously with little discussion. The Gateway Regional and vocational education portions were addressed in separate articles, all recommended by the Select Board and Finance Committee except for the over minimum contribution to Gateway of $733,797 in Article 10.
Select Board chair Edward Renauld made a motion to vote on Article 10 as a ballot question with paper ballots, which passed. Finance Committee chair Darlene McVeigh then proposed an amendment to reduce the town’s over minimum contribution to $665,797.
Huntington officials were sworn in just before the start of the town meeting on Monday. (Photo by Amy Porter)
When asked why, McVeigh responded that the town’s regional assessment had increased over 3 years by more than 300,000, increasing its share of the town budget from 51% of the total budget in FY15 to more than 53% for FY18. McVeigh said while she applauded Gateway’s efforts to have facilitated discussions with the towns, it wasn’t sustainable.
Gateway business manager Stephanie Fisk, a Huntington resident, said the total increase in the Gateway budget is only 1% this year, but the increase to Huntington and Russell is due to their increased share of students. Fisk said both towns each had 266 students, 60% of the student population between them. Russell voted down the Gateway budget one month ago at its town meeting.
Gateway superintendent Dr. David B. Hopson added that three of the towns have significant decreases in their assessments this year, due to a decrease in their percentage share of students. Hopson said that the proposed $67,000 decrease in Article 10 amounts to a $300,000 reduction in the school budget, due to Huntington’s 30 percent share.
Huntington School Committee member Ron Damon spoke next, saying that he has served 30 years on the School Committee. “I love that school. It sent my four kids to college successfully. The success of the school reflects on property values and moral values. If the budget is defeated, you’ll lose more students,” Damon said, referring to remarks about decreasing enrollment at the regional school.
(L-R) Finance Committee chair Darlene McVeigh, who will begin a term as selectman July 1, and member Victoria Sena. (Photo by Amy Porter)
McVeigh responded that the town does support the school, but is asking the school to do what the six member towns have done by entering into a Community Compact, to see where they might share resources and save money.
Resident John Mason said there was no accounting for inflation in the amendment. “If there’s one thing in the town we should build up” it’s the school, Mason said.
Resident Roger Booth asked if School Committee members were elected or appointed. Renauld responded that they are elected. “When you change the number, you’re no longer doing what you elected the School Committee to do,” Booth said.
“For the record, my kids go to Gateway (and I think) it’s great. As a town official, the trends are going the wrong way. If we keep passing the school budget, eventually we’re not going to be able to afford it,” Renauld said.
Gateway community relations spokesperson and Huntington resident Wendy Long asked residents not to change the number in the assessment, but just to vote it up or down. The motion on the amendment was then moved, and the amendment to lower the town’s over minimum contribution failed. A vote by ballot was then taken on Article 10 as written with the over minimum assessment of $733,797. The article was defeated 48 to 44.
To date, three towns (Blandford, Middlefield and Montgomery) have approved the budget, which requires four towns for passage. Chester, the last town to vote, will hold its Annual Town Meeting this Saturday, June 10, and will have the deciding vote.
Huntington moderator George Peterson. (Photo by Amy Porter)
All other articles were passed by a large majority except for Article 19, submitted by resident Lois Smith, to raise and appropriate $7,800 for stipends for the Finance Committee, Planning Board, Conservation Commission and Zoning Board. The article was voted down at Smith’s request after a brief discussion, during which she asked the Select Board to study the matter in committee.
Among the bigger items voted was a request to transfer $300,000 from Stabilization to pay for repairs to Searle Road Bridge, an amount which will be reimbursed by the Small Bridge Grant awarded by the state. Another request for $10,000 from Stabilization for fireworks was amended to transfer the amount from Free Cash, and passed.
Town residents also approved a transfer of $35,000 from Free Cash for a new police cruiser for Chief Robert Garriepy, $35,000 from Free Cash for a cooling system in Town Hall and Stanton Hall, and authorization to raise and appropriate $180,000 for a new dump truck for the Highway Department. “Once a vehicle is starting to cost us as much to repair as a loan payment, it’s time to replace it,” said Darlene McVeigh. She said the actual repayment will begin in the FY19 budget.
The amendment for a temporary moratorium on recreational marijuana establishments also passed overwhelmingly with no discussion. The meeting was dissolved by moderator George Peterson just before 10 p.m.
