Select Board amends budget warrant; solar project bond, utility revaluation and transfer-station study added

The Canterbury Select Board opened a public hearing on proposed changes to the town operating budget and second-session warrant articles, including a proposed increase to the municipal solar project bond and new items for utility revaluation and a transfer-station study.

The board discussed moving the solar-panel warrant (currently numbered 15) to an earlier position on the warrant and raising the bond amount under consideration from $180,000 to $210,000. Board members and a committee representative said the article’s language will be revised for the next public hearing to remove references to battery storage and to reflect a higher ballot approval threshold the committee expects (a three‑fifths vote). Town staff and the energy committee agreed to post updated language and supporting materials before the next hearing.

Why it matters: the warrant article for the municipal-complex solar array is a high-dollar capital request that will appear on the ballot. The board and project proponents said the panels are expected to reduce the town’s annual electricity costs, and the bond payments would be covered in part by those savings; proponents said the project should not cause an overall tax increase, while select board members asked for clearer, written calculations to…