WENDELL — With six articles on Monday’s Special Town Meeting warrant largely pertaining to financial transfers, Selectboard Chair Laurie DiDonato does not anticipate the topics will inspire much controversy or contention among voters.
“I think it’s all straightforward,” she said.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in Town Hall.
Article 5 asks voters if they agree to accept new notice requirements and an alternative procedure for the town to manage abandoned funds.
According to information from Town Treasurer Carolyn Manley, abandoned funds are checks that people don’t cash. Rather than letting these outstanding items stay on the books, adopting Article 5 would allow the town accountant to transfer uncashed checks to a special account, allowing them to eventually return to the town’s coffers. If Article 5 is not adopted, the money would be turned over to the state, where it would remain unclaimed funds and eventually revert to the state’s coffers.
Adoption of Article 6 would transfer $269,854 from free cash to the General Stabilization Fund. DiDonato said the town routinely puts its remaining free cash into the fund.
The warrant’s third and fourth articles pertain to the salary of the town clerk and the town coordinator, respectively. Article 3 asks voters to transfer $2,491 from free cash to Town Clerk Anna Wetherby’s salary to compensate her for the increased responsibility of monitoring and posting meetings on the municipal website.
Adoption of Article 4 would transfer $8,736 from free cash to Town Coordinator Kelly Tyler’s salary. DiDonato explained this article is necessary due to the failure of two Proposition 2½ override votes in August, which committed the town to the non-contingent fiscal year 2026 budget that was approved at Annual Town Meeting.
Article 2 asks voters if they agree to transfer $3,331 to pay for a prior year’s bill for regional animal control services. Article 1 asks to transfer $159 to cover a prior year’s bill for the Town Building Expense line item.
The full warrant is available at tinyurl.com/2025Wendell.