CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Voters will be asked to approve a $4.6 million fiscal 2021 budget at the annual town meeting. 

 

Town meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 24, at 6:30 p.m. at the Senior Center at 712 West Cross Road. The meeting will be set up in the parking lot and there will be provisions for keep people separate because of the pandemic; voters are encouraged to bring their own chairs and umbrellas.

 

The warrant is posted in the rear entry to Town Hall and on the town website here.

 

The $4,618,835 spending plan for fiscal 2021 includes an operating budget of $1,740,022, a school budget of $2,507,086, and a McCann Technical School assessment of $371,727. The budget is up overall by 8 percent, or $371,965 over this year and will be offset by $98,000 in free cash. 

 

Article 15 will ask to use $98,000 from free cash to reduce the tax rate and Article 16 asks to transfer $250,000 in free cash to the stabilization account. 

 

Article 9 will ask voters if they want to authorize a borrowing of up to $250,000 for a new Department of Public Works truck. The truck, and a wing plow, would replace a 2002 dump truck. 

 

The Select Board has had some debate on whether to place the article on the town warrant over concerns that the state's uncertain financial situation will be detrimental to the town's spending ability. The truck has been discussed for a couple years 

as a capital purchase. Voters last year approved a borrowing for infrastructure and the school that included monies for expanding the town garage to accommodate a large truck. 

 

The board voted to let town meeting decide the direction it wanted to take in regard to the truck. 

 

Voters will be asked to pay off the town library construction loan (Article 14) with a transfer of $64,138.20 from free cash. The board has tried to get the debt off the books three years ago until an calculation error caused a shortfall in the budget. 

 

Article 17 requires a two-thirds vote to use $10,000 from the Sale of Lots & Burials Trust for maintenance and repairs at the cemetery.

 

There are also two transfers from the sewer enterprise fund for improvements, operations and compliance with regulations. These monies are paid by the users of the sewer line that connects through North Adams to the Hoosac Water Quality District and have no affect on property taxes.

 

Article 18 is dog control bylaw that may also refer to other domestic animals. It sets out definitions for abusive conditions and public nuisance; requirements for licensing, vaccinations, restraint and housing; authority for the impounding of animals; and setting of fees and fines.