HEATH — Townspeople are set to vote again on selling its shuttered elementary school among 36 articles at Saturday’s Annual Town Meeting.
Voters will decide whether to permit the Selectboard to sell its former elementary school. The article requires two-thirds majority to pass. The same article fell just shy of the two-thirds majority at a March Special Town Meeting – 95 in favor and 77 opposed – with some townspeople citing a lack of information on the issue.
The building has remained vacant since it was closed due to low enrollment in 2017. At the beginning of this year, the town requested expressions of interest to purchase the school and received two, both of whom were marijuana companies. Heath then asked for bids and got only one offer – $250,000 from the marijuana company Carnegie Arch, LLC.
Town Administrator Kara Leistyna previously said the building’s assessed value is between $150,000 to $500,000.
All Finance Committee and Selectboard members support selling the former school. They say the building has sat vacant for two years and selling the space will reduce municipal taxes.
However, some residents have expressed doubts about selling the former school and have suggested moving town buildings to the school instead.
Heath will begin the morning with votes on town and school budgets.
The operating budget for town expenses is $1.3 million in fiscal 2020, up 8.5 percent from the current year.
The fiscal 2020 budget translates to a tax rate of $22.31 per $1,000 valuation, up from $21.60 in the current year, Finance Committee member Ned Wolfe wrote.
Meanwhile, education operating costs are $858,000 for Mohawk Trail Regional School District and $101, 800 for Franklin County Technical School. School capital costs are also subject to a vote – $6,540 for Mohawk and $2,813 for Franklin Tech.
■Town equipment: The town will vote to spend $107,000 on a new highway cab and chassis plus $58,000 on a new highway tractor.
■Recycling: Voters will be asked to permit Heath to enter into a 10-year contract with the option of a five-year extension beginning July 1, 2020, with a qualified recycling vendor.
■Name change: The town will vote on changing the name of the ‘Board of Selectmen’ to the ‘Select Board.’
■Marijuana tax: The town will vote to impose a 3 percent sales tax on marijuana.
■Burials: The town will vote to amend a bylaw concerning burials.
Several articles subject to a vote were submitted by Heath residents:
■A declaration concerning the influence of money in politics. The article indicates that Heath will support legislation to forestall the influence of money in elections, suggesting several means: “limiting the access of lobbyists, mandating full transparency in campaign financing, adopting public campaign financing, instituting automatic voter registration, ending gerrymandering and instituting ranked choice voting.”
■A declaration to support a state bill that would establish a commission to examine the state flag and seal and in particular its depiction of Native Americans.
Heath’s Annual Town Meeting is scheduled Saturday, May 11, 9 a.m. at the former elementary school, 18 Jacobs Road, with refreshments provided.
The Annual Town Election is today, May 10, from noon to 7 p.m. at the Heath Senior Center. Three positions are vacant: Mohawk Trail Regional District School Committee, Library Trustee and Town Assessor.
The election ballot has one question: to exempt Heath from Proposition 2 ½ to help fund Broadband installation.