HUNTINGTON — Huntington will host a Special Town Meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 3, at Stanton Hall, 26 Russell Rd., to vote on transferring no more than $20,000 from the sewer reserves account into the sewer wages account.
Following that at 7 p.m. will be the Annual Town Meeting, the warrant for which was finalized by the Selectboard on May 22, after Reminder Publishing’s deadline. According to a draft of the warrant as of May 16, there are 20 articles to be voted. Monetary amounts may change before or at Town Meeting.
Articles 1-5 tackle administrative issues, allowing the Selectboard to appoint unelected town officials and enter contracts with the state Department of Transportation, and the town to accept reports, auction off town-owned real estate, and accept and spend grant money.
Article 6 would allow the town to gather the money needed to pay for estimated fiscal year 2025 expenses. Passing this article would approve the budget, which, as of press time, is $6,581,775.
Article 7 would appropriate $3,078,646 to the Gateway Regional School District. Article 8 would appropriate $900,712 for vocational tuition, composed of $654,777 from taxes and $245,935 in free cash. Article 9 would spend $88,459 on vocational transportation.
Article 10 would put $12,000 of free cash into a post-employment benefits trust fund.
Articles 11 to 13 put free cash into various funds: $50,000 in the stabilization fund, $100,000 in an educational stabilization fund to be created by Article 11 and $15,000 in the capital equipment stabilization fund.
Article 14 would spend $40,000 of free cash on a new roller for the Highway Department.
Article 15 would appropriate $149,625 for a water and sewer asset management project, of which $89,775 would come from a state grant. As part of the grant program, the town will contribute the rest of the cost: $29,925 from “in-kind services provided by the town,” $15,000 from American Rescue Plan Act funds, and $14,925 from the water reserves account.
Article 16 asks voters to transfer the $14,925 from the water reserves account into the water improvements account.
Article 17 would appropriate $100,000 for a backhoe loader for the Highway Department and allow the town to borrow that amount.
Article 18 would create two new library trustee positions, bringing the total to five. The Selectboard would appoint the trustees for FY25, and in future years they would become elected positions.
Article 19 would create an opioid settlement funds revenue account.
Article 20 would amend the bylaw on dog licenses. Currently, license fees for sterilized female dogs are $6, unsterilized female dogs are $10, and all male dogs are $6. The amendment would make all sterilized dogs $6, and all unsterilized dogs $10.
