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White Declares for Spot on Williamstown Select Board

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A local business owner has declared his intent to seek a spot on the Select Board in May's town election.
 
Nicholls White on Tuesday said he plans to run to serve the last year of the term being vacated by Jeffrey Thomas.
 
White is the owner of Purple Dragon Games on Spring Street and a longtime resident of the town.
 
"I'm someone who enjoys jury duty," White said in a news release. "I love civic society and I love Williamstown, and I care a lot about how leadership can create spaces that work for everyone.
 
"In gaming, I've spent years building inclusive spaces. My experience there could be of service to the town. The environment is also a passion of mine, and I'm eager to explore ways we could make the town greener."
 
White lived Williamstown most of his youth, attending Williamstown Elementary School and Mount Greylock Regional School before finishing his secondary education abroad.
 
He returned to town and earned a degree in philosophy from Williams College in 2004.
 
White lived in the Boston area until 2017, when he returned to Williamstown to open his store.
 
"Serving on the Select Board really appeals to me because it means I can bring my passion and experience in specific areas and use that to work with other folks who have their own skills and convictions that they bring to the table," White said. "That, to me, is a great strength of democracy, and of a small town like Williamstown. I admire the work lots of people are already doing to make sure everyone gets to enjoy that, and I'm eager to do my part to help make our town even better."
 
Thomas' unexpired term is one of two positions on the Select Board on the May 11 annual town election ballot. Also up for grabs will be the seat currently held by Anne O'Connor, who has announced she will not be running for re-election.
 
Nomination papers are currently available for those two races and several other positions in town government, including a seat on the Planning Board. The deadline to return papers with signatures is March 23.
 
Questions regarding running for town office can be addressed by reaching out to the town clerk's office at npedercini@williamstownma.gov or 413-458-3500, Ext. 101.

Tags: election 2021,   town elections,   


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Mount Greylock School Committee Votes Slight Increase to Proposed Assessments

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Mount Greylock Regional School Committee on Thursday voted unanimously to slightly increase the assessment to the district's member towns from the figures in the draft budget presented by the administration.
 
The School Committee opted to lower the use of Mount Greylock's reserve account by $70,000 and, instead, increase by that amount the share of the fiscal year 2025 operating budget shared proportionally by Lanesborough and Williamstown taxpayers.
 
The budget prepared by the administration and presented to the School Committee at its annual public hearing on Thursday included $665,000 from the district's Excess and Deficiency account, the equivalent of a municipal free cash balance, an accrual of lower-than-anticipated expenses and higher-than-anticipated revenue in any given year.
 
That represented a 90 percent jump from the $350,000 allocated from E&D for fiscal year 2024, which ends on June 30. And, coupled with more robust use of the district's tuition revenue account (7 percent more in FY25) and School Choice revenue (3 percent more), the draw down on E&D is seen as a stopgap measure to mitigate a spike in FY25 expenses and an unsustainable budgeting strategy long term, administrators say.
 
The budget passed by the School Committee on Thursday continues to rely more heavily on reserves than in years past, but to a lesser extent than originally proposed.
 
Specifically, the budget the panel approved includes a total assessment to Williamstown of $13,775,336 (including capital and operating costs) and a total assessment to Lanesborough of $6,425,373.
 
As a percentage increase from the FY24 assessments, that translates to a 3.90 percent increase to Williamstown and a 3.38 percent increase to Lanesborough.
 
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