SHELBURNE — Following about an hour’s worth of discussion on the town’s contribution to the Mohawk Trail Regional School District, Shelburne voters approved an amended fiscal year 2021 budget of $4.5 million at Annual Town Meeting on Saturday morning.
Ultimately, voters approved reducing the school budget to an even $2.3 million, compared to the proposed $2,355,593.
The meeting on Saturday took place under a tent outside the Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School on Mechanic Street. Voters sat in chairs about 6 feet apart. To vote, residents held up the corresponding cue card.
To reduce the length of the meeting, all 17 articles on the warrant pertained to fiscal matters. A Special Town Meeting will be held sometime in the fall to address articles of other town business.
“This year has been more of a struggle,” said Finance Committee member Kristian Whitsett. “We certainly got thrown some curveballs.”
The school budget in particular, Whitsett said, presents some hurdles.
The discussion into school-related items of the budget began when resident Brad Walker, who is a representative of the Mohawk Trail Regional School Committee, motioned to freeze the School Committee stipend (listed as part of Article 2) so as to bring it back down to the current fiscal year budget level.
“As you know, this is symbolic, and a gesture I feel we need to make as elected officials … (to) freeze in solidarity with our district leadership team and many others in the school system who have volunteered to freeze their salaries,” Walker said.
This would mean reducing the proposed $1,189 stipend to $1,160.
The motion passed with 35 voting in favor and 20 voting against. The overall article, which set the salaries of local elected officials, passed as amended.
Article 7 pertained to the town’s proposed budget of approximately $4.6 million. A number of line items received explanation from town officials to explain an increase or decrease from the current fiscal year’s numbers.
For example, Selectboard member Andrew Baker explained that the 900 percent increase in the tax title line item of the budget reflects the fact the town hired a separate legal firm that specializes in land court activities.
“We felt it would be more expeditious to move these things through land court and get them off our books, and perhaps recoup funds from them if we get them to auction,” Baker said.
The line items that drew the most discussion — and caused the most confusion — were those that pertained to the education budget.
As proposed, the town sought to approve the appropriation of $2,355,593 to the Mohawk Trail Regional School District.
“Given the vast uncertainty of what will happen with the state budget and even the federal budget … there’s great question about what the funding that will come to the School Committee will look like when they finally pass a state budget,” Baker said.
He said there were initially discussions about passing over or withdrawing the town’s school budget, but following recent guidance from the Massachusetts Division of Local Services, Baker recommended on Saturday that the town vote to pass the school budget as presented — even if the district ultimately moves to a one-twelfth budget, operating on a month by month basis, to start the fall. He said this takes into consideration the strong likelihood the School Committee will bring back a revised budget in the fall once it knows what it is getting for state aid.
A school budget withdrawal, Baker said, would mean the town would not have money to pay school bills in July.
“The budget as proposed is flawed at this point … because of uncertainty of what government revenue is going to look like,” said Shelburne resident and School Committee representative Jason Cusimano, noting the significant portion of the budget that comes from the state.
Cusimano made a motion to increase the proposed school budget, with the idea of passing one that would ultimately lead to a rejection of the School Committee budget for the district.
“As a School Committee … we don’t want this budget to pass. We don’t trust it,” Cusimano explained.
However, after several comments back and forth between the Selectboard and School Committee representatives, the amendment was taken off the table.
Whitsett of the Finance Committee then made a motion to amend the town’s school budget to an even $2.3 million. The amendment was approved.
“I don’t think the Finance Committee would be comfortable, with the current economic situation, funding the school district at $2.5 million dollars,” he said.
With the exception of Article 1 — to hear the annual reports of town officers — which voters agreed to pass over until a future Special Town Meeting, all other articles were approved by voters with little to no discussion.
Before the meeting adjourned, Moderator Sylvia Smith addressed the voters for her final time in the role.
“I just want to thank you for the opportunity, and your confidence,” she said.
Matthew Marchese also thanked residents as he finishes out his term on the Selectboard.
“It’s been a great honor,” he said, “and a great privilege.”
Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 263.