COVID-19 may impact school override request, raise trash fees

It was supposed to be a meeting of the minds of three town boards — School Committee, Finance Committee, and Select Board — to discuss the status and wording of a proposed $4 million Proposition 2 1/2 override.

For two hours Monday, a computer screen filled with talking heads over Zoom threw around numbers. Town Administrator Tim McInerney, the only black box on the screen, laid out $567,599 in additional cuts to make up a likely shortfall in revenue (see first slide, above). Finance Committee Chairman Mathew Often suggested an alternate scenario created by a FinCom subcommittee that would fund mainly the school requests, a full-time fire chief and two deputy chiefs.

By meeting’s end, no real consensus was reached on what the ballot question planned for the May election would look like — and some Select Board members were expressing doubt over whether an override should be considered at all.

“I am not comfortable at this time asking people for an override,” Select Board Chairperson Jennifer Thomas said, referring to the likely troubled finances of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The goal is to get it passed. I’m just not comfortable that it will pass given the environment we are in.”

Select Board member Donna Stock appeared to be of a similar mind, but suggested, when asked, that people “stay tuned for tomorrow night” (a vote on the ballot question’s final wording is scheduled for Tuesday). Members Peter Carlson, Doreen DeFazio and Ed Prisby indicated support for putting out the override question.

“The schools were going to fall apart even before this crisis and they still are,” School Committee Chairperson Laura Often said.

School Committee member Heather Riley pointed out the efforts teachers have made to get lessons online for their quarantined students over the past month. “If this has shown us anything, it’s that these people are very valuable.”

COVID-19 is already taking its toll on projected revenue for Fiscal Year 2021, which starts July 1, McInerney said. He proposed a $567,599 cut to the proposed town budget, including:

• A salary freeze for town employees making $75,000 or more;
• A $42,000 cut from school salaries;
• Cutting the Economic Development Coordinator position;
• Moving $124,000 in public safety equipment purchases to warrant articles at Town Meeting;
• Reducing the Highway Department budget by $150,000
• Other reductions

McInerney also proposed increasing the trash bag fees by 25 percent. Starting July 1, the cost for small Grafton bags would be $6.25 while large bags would be $11.25.

Select Board meets Tuesday at 7 p.m. to discuss the ballot question, McInerney’s contract, and coronavirus response. See the meeting on Zoom with this link: https://zoom.us/j/442598859 with the password 442 598 859.

Like Grafton Common? Help support us on Ko-fi.

[kofi] https://ko-fi.com/jenniferpaluzzi