HAWLEY — Special Town Meeting voters passed two financial articles and rejected a third, non-binding article related to joining the Western Massachusetts Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Agreement on Monday night.

According to Selectboard Chair Hussain Hamdan, voters liked the idea of being able to request mutual aid from other communities, but were uneasy by the pact’s “self-activation” clause, which allows law enforcement officials from other towns to stand in for Hawley police.

“There was widespread concern that the self-activation provisions in the current agreement were overly broad and could potentially result in overreach by officers whom we don’t know, and from communities whose hiring and training requirements we know very little about,” he said.

To date, the Western Massachusetts Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Agreement encompasses more than 60 towns located in Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester counties. The scope of the towns in the agreement span the rural/urban divide, an issue brought up at the meeting.

“There were also concerns voiced about the rural-urban disconnect,” Hamdan explained. “An officer coming from a more urban area might not be sufficiently familiar with activities like hunting, logging or farming to understand whether what (officers may be) witnessing while passing through a rural area is actually a problem.”

Hamdan added that “several people said they thought it would be better and more useful for Hawley to enter into a more limited mutual aid pact with some of its neighbors,” and noted the Selectboard will look into the logistics and merits of mutual aid pacts with communities that border Hawley.

“Although this resolution was non-binding, the selectmen have every intention of complying with the will of the voters as expressed (on Monday),” he said.

Two financial articles were passed unanimously. The first will result in $45,000 from the town’s free cash being used to offset the fiscal year 2020 tax rate. Financial Administrator Virginia Gabert said the projected tax rate was $17.40 per $1,000 valuation, but Monday’s vote will reduce the rate to $16.22 per $1,000 valuation.

The second will reduce the vocational tuition budget by $15,000 to a total of $20,000.

The budget originally accounted for two students attending vocational schools; however, Gabert explained that only one Hawley student is attending a vocational school this year.

Reach Maureen O’Reilly at moreilly@recorder.com or at 413-772-0261, ext. 280.