DALTON, Mass. — The Dalton Fire District will be having an informational session on Wednesday, April 10, at Wahconah Regional High School starting at 6:30 p.m. 

 

The aim of the meeting is to encourage an increase in the annual district meeting attendance, spark conversation between residents, and inform the community on what makes up the budget. 

 

The Fire District and town are two separate governing bodies. The Fire and Water departments are the Fire District's responsibility. The Board of Water Commissioners and the Prudential Committee govern the district.

 

The water commissioners say attendance at annual Fire District meetings is often low.

 

"It's a hard place to [explain the budget in detail] at the annual meeting because you're there to walk down the fact that this is the money we need. And the [attendance is] low. We don't get huge turnouts, but the dollar values are getting higher," Water Commission Chair James Driscoll said during the commission's March meeting. 

 

A lot of residents concerned about the rates increasing often attend the annual meetings and are vocal about it, he said, but the people who are in support of the budget don't attend. "So [the annual district meeting is] not the place that we educate, because we don't have the time nor means to do it there." 

 

The information meeting will demonstrate to residents what the budget covers every year and that if they decide they do not want to pay the price, voters also need to determine what services they want cut, whether it's not having an ambulance or fire truck during certain hours, Commissioner Camillus Cachat said.

 

The commission started discussing the budget during its meeting in March. More information here. 

 

There will be elections for the Board of Water Commissioners and the Prudential Committee on Tueday, May 14, between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the Dalton Fire Department. 

 

On the ballot for the Water Commission are incumbent Mike Kubicki and challenger Ken Sagendorph. Prudential Committee incumbent Thomas Murray is running for re-election unopposed and Anthony Doyle is seeking re-election for moderator, also unopposed.