HAWLEY — Voters will be asked to approve a $977,194 town operating budget when they attend Annual Town Meeting on Monday at 7 p.m. in the Town Office.
They will also be asked to support a feasibility study regarding Heath joining the Hawlemont Regional School District as a member town. After the Heath Elementary School was closed in June, Heath has been sending its students to Hawlemont on a tuition basis, negotiated by the Mohawk Trail Regional School District. This article would authorize the Selectboard to appoint a committee to represent the town in discussions and negotiations if the two town school district were to add a third member.
Another article asks if voters would allow the town to collect donations for a Veterans’ Assistance Fund, to be used by military veterans and their families through a designation on town tax bills or vehicle excise bills.
The town budget request is about $1,296 larger than the budget in place for the current fiscal year that ends in June. The Mohawk Trail Regional School District assessment has risen by $7,613 — from $173,801 to $181,414 (about 4 percent). Hawlemont’s assessment has decreased by $17,634 (about 6 ½ percent) to $246,043. Vocational school budget requests have remained the same, at about $45,000 for each year.
Other financial requests include: $1,000 for the FY20 assessors’ revaluation; $2,000 for periodic independent audits; $30,000 from the “Free Cash” reserves for a required payment for the used Fire Department pumper truck and a 1-ton town truck.
Hawley will be the seventh of the eight Mohawk Trail Regional School District member towns to vote on regional agreement changes, which mostly affect other member towns.