A 3rd marijuana license, holiday changes, and a $67M budget top Town Meeting

There are 45 articles on the Spring Town Meeting warrant, and it’s likely most of them will pass without debate Saturday morning.

Of course, it’s the articles that do bring arguments that make Town Meeting both infuriating and fun.

To speed up the process, the first 11 articles, which contain routine items that generally pass without discussion, are bundled under a “consent agenda,” meaning they will all pass in a single vote. If a voter wishes to discuss one or more of the articles, they may call out “hold” when they are read and they will be taken up separately.

As voters gather on the Grafton High School football field at 11 a.m. Saturday, here are a few of the things that will have them lining up at the microphone to speak their pieces:

ARTICLE 12: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, and/or transfer and appropriate any sum of money as may be necessary to defray the expenses of the Town for the ensuing fiscal year, the period from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022.

In other words: This is the $67,259,487 town budget.

ARTICLE 40: To see if the town will vote to repeal Article 39, §2 of the Town of Grafton General By-Laws and replace it with the following: The number of Recreational Marijuana Retailers (RMR’s) that shall be permitted in Grafton is limited to 50% of the number of licenses issued within the Town under Section 15 of chapter 138 for the retail sale of alcoholic beverages not to be drunk on the premises where sold. 

This article, if passed, would allow for the issuance of a third RMR license in the Town of Grafton. The Select Board and the EDC recommend this article together, as it would increase the revenue generated for the town from these businesses. According to the Cannabis Control Commission, each retail cannabis store pays approximately $295,000 annually to the host community. 

A citizen’s petition seeking the addition of a third license brought before Town Meeting a year ago ultimately failed.

The final articles, brought by citizens petitions initiated by Grafton RISE (Racial Inclusion and Social Equity), address a change to an existing town holiday and the addition of a new one.

ARTICLE 43: To see if the Town will vote to amend Article 20 4-19 Personal Bylaw, of the General Bylaws of the Town of Grafton, by deleting Columbus Day and replacing it with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, or act on anything relating thereto. 

ARTICLE 44: To see if the Town will vote to amend Article 20 4-19 Personal Bylaw, of the the General Bylaws of the Town of Grafton by adding the holiday Juneteenth between Memorial Day and Independence Day, to align with the Massachusetts state holiday, or act on anything relating thereto.

Juneteeth (June 19) marks the date the final slaves were emancipated after the Civil War. Gov. Charlie Baker approved it as a state holiday last July.

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