|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
SPENCER – A 34-article warrant, including comprehensive changes to the town’s solar bylaws, is facing voters at the May 2 Annual Town meeting.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m., Thursday at Memorial Town Hall, 157 Main St. and includes a request to approve the town’s annual operating budget which has risen to $13,964,496.
Town Administrator Jeffrey Bridges said that the town must use one-time funds to meet the budget, something that’s frowned upon but was necessary this year.
“We had to use ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds to close the gap,” Bridges said, adding that state-mandated school contribution amounts are the biggest reason for the issue.
In Massachusetts, municipal levy limits can only rise 2 ½ percent each fiscal year unless voters agree at both a town meeting and the ballot box, to raise taxes to spend more.
The problem with Proposition 2 ½ is that, in many towns, requests for overrides aren’t successful and budget cuts must be made. Since the school’s spending is state-mandated, the cuts are typically made in other departments. As the process is the same year after year, eventually towns can no longer fund their budgets without using one-time funds; a move that experts say isn’t sustainable.
Bridges is quick to point out that the state requirement has nothing to do with the local school committee and that the blame for the problem lies solely with the state.
“It’s an issue for (state) legislators,” he said of the possibility of a fix for the problem.
The Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District Minimum Contribution for fiscal year 2025 is $8,961,739. The total request for the regional schools is $11,978,705.
Also on the warrant are changes to the town’s solar bylaws that officials hope will lessen the impact of solar development in town.
The proposed bylaw changes will allow agrivoltaic solar that allows the use of land for both agriculture and solar photovoltaic energy generation.
Town Planner Lauren Vivier said allowing the dual usage means less deforestation of land in order to place large, ground mounted installations. Agrivoltaic would allow cutting of crops or grazing of animals underneath the arrays, she explained, adding that it allows farmers to keep their land while still realizing a benefit from solar.
The bylaw changes would also allow for solar canopies over parking lots and other open areas similar to the solar installation at Lamoureux Ford in East Brookfield which has parking underneath.
“Right now that is not allowed in Spencer,” Vivier explained.
Many of the articles are routine end-of-year fiscal housekeeping along with funding for some capital items for various town departments.
Voters will also be asked whether they want to pay a 1 percent surcharge on their tax bill by accepting the Community Preservation Act. The money would be used to fund historic preservation, open space and recreation and affordable housing.
Also on the warrant are requests to:
- Raise the fee for housing stray animals at the animal control facility
- Reduce the eligibility age for the town’s senior citizen tax reduction from 67 to 65 years old and to increase the benefit from $500 to $750
- Transfer $16,500 from various accounts to fund upgrades to security cameras at town parks
- Expend $15,000.00 from previously certified and available Free Cash for the preparation of a Community Preservation Plan
