WARWICK — In less than an hour on a hot Saturday afternoon, Warwick voters appointed a new town moderator and approved all 16 articles on the Annual Town Meeting warrant.
Articles on Saturday’s warrant included a roughly $2.1 million omnibus budget, which includes education expenses up to $933,536. This figure includes a $99,580 assessment for the Franklin County Technical School and a $833,956 assessment for the Pioneer Valley Regional School District.
Voters also approved allocating $20,000 to fund the Warwick Community School Improvement Account, which was created by a Town Meeting vote in 2004. The Pioneer school district voted in early 2020 to cease use of the building, which is owned by Warwick, and the town has continued to maintain and use the building. Warwick Education Committee members have said approval of the $20,000 will help keep the building in good shape as they continue efforts to open an independent elementary school in 2022.
Saturday’s budget approval included increases to town employee wages and stipends for Selectboard members. In a written statement, the Finance Committee recommended the Selectboard stipend increase from $400 to $800 following a review of a Franklin Regional Council of Governments wage study that showed the Warwick Selectboard receives the lowest stipend of any Franklin County town included in the study — with the exception of Orange, whose Selectboard members had opted to decline their stipends at the time.
“While increasing the stipend would merely be a symbolic gesture and would not begin to pay for the time that members put in each week, it could make a difference to an hourly wage person who had to give up paid work to serve on our board,” Finance Committee members wrote.
After reviewing how Warwick’s pay rates compare to other small towns, especially those in Western Massachusetts, the Finance Committee also recommended all town employee salaries be increased by a 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment. The increase, which was approved, excludes the four positions of town secretary, custodian, Board of Health clerk (and) police patrol officers. For those positions, the Finance Committee recommended increasing the rates by $2 per hour.
“This is the third year the Finance Committee has led the budgeting process with a great deal of confidence,” Town Coordinator David Young said on Monday. “I’ve been in this job now going on 14 years, and it’s great to have this kind of talent supporting the town and looking at its finances.”
Young said the town also voted for roughly 5 percent of its budget to be placed into the Capital Stabilization Account. According to Young, the town accountant recommended allocating between 5 and 10 percent, “but more is better.” Young also said Selectboard Chair Todd Dexter spoke to the need to start saving, and Young himself assured residents that a two-thirds vote at another Town Meeting would be necessary to take any money out of the Capital Stabilization Account.
The town anticipates holding a Special Town Meeting at some point later this year, Young said, potentially in late summer or early fall, to address other business and items that did not need to be completed by June 30, the end of the current fiscal year.
The town failed to elect a moderator during the May election, but Young said “as it turned out,” multiple candidates were ready to help fill the role.
“Four people showed up prepared to be moderators for the day,” Young recounted.
Ultimately, Young said Jim McRae expressed willingness to serve as moderator beyond the day and hold the position through its term. After welcoming residents to the meeting, the first order of business Saturday saw Jim McRae appointed as moderator.
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.