Voters to decide on trimmed down budget at Town Meeting

MIDDLEBORO -- Town Meeting voters will have the final say Monday, June 1 on a budget that could cut about 33 positions from town and school staffs.

At the meeting, scheduled to start at 7:15 p.m. at the Middleboro High School auditorium, voters will be asked to approve a budget for next year of  $109,445,314.

The budget process this year has been lengthy and challenging. When Interim Town Manager Joseph Perkins took over in February for departing Town Manager Jay McGrail, he determined that the previous budget was out of balance.

Making the numbers work would require layoffs, he said at the time, and a process of discussions began with town department heads and unions.

The school side of the budget also faced challenges. The district faced special education cost increases, reduced alternative funding sources and less financial support on the local, state and federal level, Acting School Superintendent Michael Perrone said.

This led to an overall budget number of $42,850,000, less than the schools would need to maintain current services.

Schools could potentially lose the equivalent of 23.5 positions.

In addition to the budget, voters will have their say on several other issues.

The town is looking to place a ban on cryptocurrency ATMs. The machines are often a vehicle for fraud, Police Chief Robert Ferreira has said, and concerns have been raised about high fees involved in transfers.

The town has about 10 to 15 machines, many in convenience stores. If voters approve the ban, the existing machines must be removed and no others can be installed in Middleboro.

Voters will be asked whether to approve the use of community preservation funds, which come from a portion of residents’ tax bills, to support three separate projects.

These requests are: $10,500 to fund the Robbins Museum Preservation Project to preserve the town’s archaeological collection; $85,000 to install a new playground and $60,000 to remove invasive vegetation from Tispaquin Pond,

The Finance Committee, which oversees the budget, approved all money-related items.

Meeting voters will also consider prohibiting social consumption at marijuana facilities.  This would ban people from using marijuana on site at the businesses that sell marijuana.

Voters will also be asked to change zoning bylaws to allow smaller lot sizes in developments to provide more open space. The number of lots allowed would not change.

The Special Town Meeting, traditionally held prior to the Town Meeting, has been moved to June 16 because of deadline issues.