CONWAY — Three articles on Saturday’s Annual Town Meeting warrant will ask voters how they wish to proceed with the town’s finances in the event of budget shortfalls due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The state budget is a really big unknown that we have to deal with on the town level,” Town Administrator Tom Hutcheson explained.

Annual Town Meeting will start at 1 p.m. at the new highway maintenance facility next to the Conway Grammar School on Fournier Road. 

Articles 6 and 7 would approve the appropriation of $159,000 from the general stabilization fund and from free cash to make up for any revenue deficit, according to Hutcheson. Article 6 requires a two-thirds vote.

Article 8 seeks to approve authorizing the treasurer/collector to borrow up to $200,000 to partially make up for any fiscal year 2021 revenue deficit, but only if needed after the use of the total $159,000 voted on in Articles 6 and 7.

“We’d have to go back to Town Meeting and have a formal vote for either a debt exclusion or an override,” Hutcheson explained. “We hope it doesn’t come to that.”

The warrant notes that Article 8, which received full support from the Selectboard, was not backed by the Financial Committee, which did not agree with capping the borrowing amount, according to Hutcheson.

He noted that Conway is currently in “great financial shape,” but Articles 6, 7 and 8 attempt to address how residents would like to proceed with town finances in the event of a strong recession.

The Town Meeting warrant includes 23 other articles for voter approval, including an article that seeks approval of a roughly $6 million operating budget for fiscal year 2021.

Voters are also asked in Article 10 to approve providing $122,700 for capital projects, including a bucket loader and compact loader for the Highway Department, and equipment for the Fire Department. The article requires a two-thirds vote.

Article 26, which was submitted by citizen’s petition, aims to amend zoning bylaws pertaining to adult marijuana establishments. The article was discussed in a public hearing on April 16.

For a full copy of the signed warrant, visit townofconway.com.

Rain dates for the outdoor meeting are scheduled for June 21, June 27 and June 28.

Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 263. Twitter: @MaryEByrne