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Town Meeting approves $100,000 sewer department supplement as residents press for stronger collections
Summary
Voters approved a $100,000 supplement to the FY25 sewer operating budget, prompting extended public comment about delinquent sewer accounts, lien practices and interdepartmental billing arrangements.
Town Meeting voted to increase the Sewer Department's FY2025 operating budget by $100,000 to cover unforeseen breakdowns and cross‑fiscal parts and labor costs.
The appropriation carried after extended public comment focused on unpaid sewer bills, collection methods and whether water and sewer billing should be consolidated.
The select board asked town meeting to approve a $100,000 transfer from certified retained earnings to bring the sewer department's total operating budget to the amount printed in the warrant. "The monies that we're requesting are for unforeseen breakdowns that happened in the last fiscal year that have to be paid for this fiscal year," Mark Muschietti of the Sewer Commission told the meeting. "The money that's owed to us, we have no way of collecting other than what Justice said. If people don't pay this through a bill, they're liened. Banks pay once they get notified there's a lien... it's the same amount of money, same people year after year."
Several residents questioned why no sewer commission members were present earlier to answer questions and whether the town could better collect unpaid balances. Justice Graves, speaking as deputy assessor, described the town's existing lien practice: "Every year... all delinquent sewer accounts that are older than the previous fiscal year... are liened," she said, explaining liens become part of the tax bill and are paid on sale or bank notification.
Sewer commissioners and advisory committee members urged voters to approve the transfer to keep the department operational and cover high parts and labor costs. "The sewer department really needs that $100,000," Noel Francis of the advisory committee said. "Parts and labor are expensive. The bill for the parts crosses between fiscal years. That's part of the problem."
After questions and debate the article passed. Town officials said the transfer comes from certified retained earnings (ratepayer funds), not general taxation, and that the town will continue to pursue long‑term solutions for collection of past‑due accounts, including possible future proposals to address liens and billing practices.
