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Clarksburg passed all the articles in its town warrant.

Clarksburg OKs $3.5M Budget for 2011

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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Robert Norcross expresses his disappointment that teachers had not had to sacrifice like other town employees. Seated in front of him are Superintendent Jonathan Lev, left, and School Committee members David Berger and Jeff Levanos.
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Voters passed a $2.3 million school budget for the coming year at Wednesday's town meeting but not without several sharp comments directed toward teacher salaries.

The town meeting also passed a town budget of $967,570 and an assessment of $169,541 to the Northern Berkshire Vocational School District. The rest of the 17-article warrant passed with little or no discussion. Fewer than 20 voters attended this year's meeting at the elementary school.

The school district budget, however, evoked some angry comments over salary raises in the current three-year contract. At last town meeting, some of the same people had objected to the teachers taking salary increases while other town employees had their wages frozen and took two weeks of unpaid furlough.

"I'm not here to bash the teachers ... but once again the teachers escaped any sacrifice," said Robert Norcross, after learning the School Committee had negotiated a new three-year contract that guaranteed annual 2 percent wage increases. The last contract was for 3 percent hikes. Norcross said the committee wasn't acting in the best interests of the town. "They're not advocates for the school, they're elected advocates for the town ... we should all suffer together."

Northern Berkshire School Union Superintendent Jonathan Lev said the school budget was $68,000 lower than last year. "The kids are high quality ... they're usually the valedictorians. We should be proud of the kids coming out of the school and it's the teachers that are doing it."

Clarksburg resident and past president of the North Adams Teachers Association Christopher Caproni said the quality of the school is a major factor in attracting families and keeping real estate values high.


Selectman Carl McKinney said the town's side of the budget was smaller than it was eight years ago.
"We don't have any industry; the school is our industry," said Caproni, a music teacher whose two children will both be attending the school next fall. "I could confidently put my house on the market tomorrow and get more than fair-market value because a couple my age would buy it because of the school."

Lev said the school district spending is down some $62,000 over this year. "We have made cuts; we can't go any lower.

"We need the input from the people of Clarksburg ... that is why the School Committee exists," he continued, saying the committee would welcome input during budget meetings. The School Committee meets the first Thursday of the month at 5:15 at the school; its meeting schedule is posted in Town Hall.

After about 20 minutes of back and forth, and no suggestions of cuts, the budget was passed without opposition. "I just wanted to bring it up for discussion," said Norcross.

Voters also authorized borrowing up to $500,000 for a STRAP grant in anticipation of full reimbursement from the state to resurface West Cross, Middle and Daniels roads and spending $20,000 toward feasibility studies for grant applications.

They also approved a transfer of $10,000 from the sewer enterprise fund into the general fund as the first in an expected series of repayments totaling $30,000.

Selectmen touched briefly on the outcome of the town election on Tuesday that saw voters give final approval to appointing a tax collector (140-137) and a treasurer (138-137). Changing those two elected positions, as well as the town clerk position, were approved by petition at last year's town meeting. However, voters rejected the idea of making the town clerk appointed by 143-133 and overwhelmingly returned Carol A. Jammalo to the position against challenger Melissa McGovern-Wandrei, the tax collector, by 217-65.

The tax collector's term ends next year and the treasurer's the year after. Town Administrator Michael Canales had put together a scenario should all three positions become appointed. Selectman Carl McKinney anticipated one full-time position would created out of the two part-time elected ones.

Also re-elected Tuesday were Selectwoman Debora LeFave, Moderator Bryan H. Tanner, School Committee member David Woods, McCann School Committee member Richard Bernardi, Tree Warden Ernest Dix, Library Trustee Rose Marie Peter and War Memorial Trustee Allen Goodrich. Winning with write-in votes to vacant seats were Gregory Vigna with nine votes for a three-year seat on the Board of Health and David Delano with four votes for a five-year seat on the Planning Board.
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Pittsfield CPA Committee Funds Half of FY24 Requests

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A few projects are not getting funded by the Community Preservation Committee because of a tight budget.

The projects not making the cut were in the historic preservation and open space and recreation categories and though they were seen as interesting and valuable projects, the urgency was not prevalent enough for this cycle.

"It's a tough year," Chair Danielle Steinmann said.

The panel made its recommendations on Monday after several meetings of presentations from applications. They will advance to the City Council for final approval.  

Two cemetery projects were scored low by the committee and not funded: A $9,500 request from the city for fencing at the West Part Cemetery as outlined in a preservation plan created in 2021 and a $39,500 request from the St. Joseph Cemetery Commission for tombstone restorations.

"I feel personally that they could be pushed back a year," Elizabeth Herland said. "And I think they're both good projects but they don't have the urgency."

It was also decided that George B. Crane Memorial Center's $73,465 application for the creation of a recreational space would not be funded. Herland said the main reason she scored the project low was because it didn't appear to benefit the larger community as much as other projects do.

There was conversation about not funding The Christian Center's $34,100 request for heating system repairs but the committee ended up voting to give it $21,341 when monies were left over.

The total funding request was more than $1.6 million for FY24 and with a budget of $808,547, only about half could be funded. The panel allocated all of the available monies, breaking down into $107,206 for open space and recreation, $276,341 for historic preservation, and $425,000 for community housing.

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