by Frank Schroth

Last Thursday Town Meeting waded through the balance of budget articles in the warrant, approving the appropriations for town departments. These included but were not limited to: Library-$1,059,357, Schools-$35,412,344, and Cemetary-$704,849. Appropriations were also approved for Interest and Maturing Debt ($4,014,057), and the Stabilization Fund ($403,512). In all, thirteen appropriation articles were passed and one authorizing revolving funds (articles 19 through 33). They can be found in the warrant here. And then there was article 34. Who saw that coming?

The article appeared benign but it generated quite a bit of discussion. Article 34 requested a change in Chapter 2 of bylaws to establish a regular town meeting in the fall. The town has one regularly scheduled town meeting a year, the spring Annual Town Meeting. In addition a Special Town Meeting can be called to deal with issues of a time sensitive nature or that should for whatever reason not be well served if delayed until the annual. meeting. Milton has held special town meetings every year for ~10 years. This past year the special town meeting which usually occurs in October was pushed back. This proved challenging for the warrant committee which takes up its review and assessment of the budget in January. The delay, as Warrant Chair Innes noted at the session, “makes the work of the Warrant Committee very difficult.”

The discussion went off in a couple of directions. There was consideration given to moving up the time of town meetings to 700P.M. This was defeated. Chair of the Selectmen Tom Hurley said that board was ok with the change. TMM McEttrick from P1 said that schedule was OK the way it was and this was echoed by Earl Fay, also P1. Diane DiTullio Agostino sought to have the article referred back for further study.

The language was amended slightly to state that a fall town meeting will occur “as required.” The article passed.

Town Meeting resumes this evening at 7:30 at the Winchester Auditorium at Milton High. Articles  to be taken up include the town taking the first step in a new master plan and a land swap to provide more land for Milton Cemetery.