Source: Daily Hampshire Gazette (Northampton, MA)
By SEAN REAGAN Staff Writer
GOSHEN, MA – Voters were in an approving mood at Monday’s annual Town Meeting. Not a single nay vote was cast as they worked their way through 18 warrant articles, addressing everything from the operating budget to the gender of library trustees.
Voters readily approved a $1.8 million operating budget for the town.
Prior to approval, Finance Committee chairman Gaye Reihnold commended efforts of town boards and committees for their efforts to stay within limited budgets and work together in challenging fiscal times. The communal effort, she said, was critical to maintaining a successful budget.
Included within that budget were 5 percent raises for all town employees, $5,000 towards the town’s 225th anniversary next year, $3,000 for a Web consultant/designer who will help create an Internet presence for the town and $10,000 for an administrative assistant to the Board of Selectmen who will work 20 hours per week so that residents will have access to the Town Hall five days a week.
Town Moderator Anthony ”Tommy” Thomas said it was the first time in his memory that the budget passed without considerable debate. ”Somebody must have done a good job,” he said.
Voters also approved $369,800 as the town’s share to Hampshire Regional High School’s $8.3 million budget.
Goshen is the fourth of the five member towns to approve that budget, which effectively means that the school has successfully avoided a drawn-out budget process as in previous years.
”We feel very good about this,” said HRHS Superintendent William Erickson. ”This really enables us to start planning for next year.”
New Hingham Regional School also received good news as voters approved $363,025 as the town’s share. Principal Sylvia Santucci said she was pleased with the current budget.
”Our goal is to maintain a strong program and keep the building up to par,” she said. ”We’re going to be able to do that with this budget.”
Voters also approved $13,600 for vocational transportation and $124,180 for vocational tuition.
Changes in the town’s ambulance service were given the nod, after an impassioned plea from Fire Chief Fran Dresser. Voters unanimously agreed to enter into a contract with Highland Ambulance Emergency Services, Inc., a regional service that will replace the local one.
”Many people put a lot of time and effort into this to make it work and we need to make it work,” said Dresser. ”There are holes in our coverage, and that’s not serving the residents of our town.”
According to Dresser, the new ambulance service would include full-time staff during the day, including a paramedic, and would pay volunteers for their time on calls.
Following the meeting, Selectman Larry Miller said the new budget – in particular the administrative assistant and Web consultant – were going to move the town forward. ”It took a lot of work to get here,” he said. ”But I think this is a huge step forward for us.”
In other articles, voters:
- approved the transfer of $1,724 from the state and $557 from the County Dog Fund into the library account;
- allowed the Hampshire Regional School Committee to enter into three year contracts including an option to renew for two additional years to provide bus transportation to member towns;
- accepted the provisions of a state law enabling volunteer firefighters to participate in the town’s group health policy by paying 100 percent of the monthly premium;
- amended the present composition of the Board of Library Trustees to no longer require an equal amount of men and women.