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North Adams Finance Committee Reviewing Municipal Fees

Some of the fees that had the city councilors scratching their heads was an annual cost of $2 per pool table, a $10 annual license for "slaughtering," and sussing out the difference between junk dealers, junk collectors and secondhand dealers — who had seasonal licenses. In one case, the annual renewal is 50 cents.

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Pittsfield Officials See Budget Overview

The City Council and School Committee were given a snapshot of the status of this year's budget on Tuesday and a glimpse at the fiscal 2021 budget.

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Auditor Praises Pittsfield's Bookkeeping, Offers Few Suggestions

Auditor Thomas Scanlon praised the city's bookkeeping. "This is probably the best condition the city's financial reporting has been in," Scanlon told both the City Council and the School Committee at a joint meeting Wednesday evening.

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Lanesborough Wins Grant to Improve Transparency

The state is funding a project to enhance transparency in town government. The Board of Selectmen on Monday agreed to contracts with cleargov.com and Civics Plus, both eyed to make information about the town much more accessible to the public.

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Williamstown Select Board Members Fear 'Opening the Spigot' on Non-Profit Funding

For years, voters at the annual town meeting have approved separate warrant articles to help fund the operating expenses at the Williamstown Youth Center and Williamstown Chamber of Commerce. Last year, a request for similar funding from the Sand Springs Recreation Center caused officials to wonder if the town needs a formal process to review such proposals.
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