Town prepares for June financial town meeting; seniors host open house on proposed bond

Town staff briefed the council on preparations for the Financial Town Meeting on June 2 and said supplemental materials explaining bond questions will be distributed to households and posted online ahead of the meeting.

The town administrator explained staff has revised the town’s traditional budget book front matter to clarify bond questions and voting procedures and will publish a two‑page supplemental item about proposed bonds by the following Thursday. Staff said the materials are being mailed to every household and posted on the town website. Officials also said they are prepared to run paper ballots if any item moves to a paper ballot and are meeting with the moderator and solicitor to address three voter initiatives that were formally submitted and advertised.

During public comment, BJ Whitehouse, chairperson of the Senior Services Committee, invited residents to an open house on Thursday at 6 West Street explaining that the bond question before the Financial Town Meeting funds mechanical repairs and renovations at the senior center. Whitehouse said the work is “purely mechanical… nothing really fancy,” and noted the building will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year. The town administrator also flagged one voter initiative that would provide funding for the Fort Getty waterline and said capital funds in the budget process will cover the town’s commitment for that waterline regardless of the outcome of the voter initiative.

Councilors thanked staff and school personnel for logistics support and technology planning at the school site where the meeting will be held, and asked staff to continue voter‑education outreach in the days before June 2.