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Clarksburg Select Board Fires Treasurer/Tax Collector

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town's treasurer/collector was fired on Wednesday night after a nearly 45-minute executive session of the Select Board.

Melissa McGovern-Wandrei has been in the part-time post for some time, first as the elected tax collector for 15 years and then appointed when the tax collector was combined with the treasurer position under the authority of the Select Board in 2011.

The board provided no explanation for the firing.

"All we can say is she was terminated," said Chairman Jeffrey Levanos. When asked if any other actions would follow, he replied, "not at this time."


The board met with McGovern-Wandrei for about a half-hour in a posted executive session, then alone for another 10 or 15 minutes before calling her back in. She was allowed to remove personal belongings from her locked office and left when the board came back into regular session.

Police Chief Michael Williams was appointed the interim treasurer/collector. Anthony Reid was appointed to provide information technology support for the town's systems, which McGovern-Wandrei had also overseen.

Town Administrator Carl McKinney said Reid, an IT support engineer in North Adams, would work on system security and performance.

Town officials plan to interview several applicants for the treasurer/tax collector position on Monday in an effort to get someone into the post as soon as possible.


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Central Berkshire School Officials OK $35M Budget

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Central Berkshire Regional School Committee approved a $35 million budget for fiscal 2025 during its meeting on Thursday.
 
Much of the proposed spending plan is similar to what was predicted in the initial and tentative budget presentations, however, the district did work with the Finance subcommittee to further offset the assessments to the towns, Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis said. 
 
"What you're going see in this budget is a lower average assessment to the towns than what you saw in the other in the tentative budget that was approved," she said. 
 
The fiscal 2025 budget is $35,428,892, a 5.56 percent or $1,867,649, over this year's $33,561,243.
 
"This is using our operating funds, revolving revenue or grant revenue. So what made up the budget for the tentative budget is pretty much the same," Director of Finance and Operations Gregory Boino said.
 
"We're just moving around funds … so, we're using more of the FY25 rural aid funds instead of operating funds next year."
 
Increases the district has in the FY25 operating budget are from active employee health insurance, retiree health insurance, special education out-of-district tuition, temporary bond principal and interest payment, pupil transportation, Berkshire County Retirement contributions, and the federal payroll tax. 
 
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