RUTLAND — The town’s budget, not including the override funding, would be about $25.4 million. If an override is approved by voters, the figure would rise to about $27.2 million.
The difference includes a number of town services and positions that could be trimmed without the added funding.
The final figure will be determined by the voters who show up to make the decisions at the Saturday, May 6, annual town meeting, which will be held at Glenwood Elementary School, 65 Glenwood Road, starting at 6 p.m.
Although any registered voter can attend, participate and vote, those who choose not to attend and exercise their voting rights essentially opt out of the process and give their voting authority to those who do show up.
The budget is one of the main duties of voters when they attend the town meeting, being a blueprint for how funds will be spent in the coming year.
It includes departments such as schools, which has a projected budget of $16 million for the Wachusett and vocational education expenses.
Other funding has been added and would disappear if the $2 million override fails.
Cemeteries, with a $300 budget planned if the override passes, would have nothing if it fails.
A similar new line item would affect forestry, with $5,200 if the override passes but nothing if it doesn’t.
Other departments would see reductions in proposed spending. The ambulance department, for instance, is slated to get a budget of $1.2 million, up from the current $1.1 million, but that would drop to $994,021 without the override.
Police are slated to increase from the current year’s $1.3 million to $1.6 million, but that would be just over $1.3 without the override.
Since the warrant for the town meeting does not include figures in each article, voters will be following discussions using their copy of the town budget.
And other articles refer to handouts rather than including details in the warrant, such as the cost of a dump truck and “a sum of money” for capital projects.
Detailed budget information is available at the meeting but also in advance on the town website.
One article seeks to extend the term of the moderator from one to three years.
And an article would make the town clerk position appointed rather than elected. It seeks to have voters approve allowing the town to seek a Special Act of the State Legislature to make the change. A ballot question is no longer needed, according to Town Clerk Anita Carlson, although the question remains on the printed ballot. Many towns have changed to an appointed town clerk rather than the traditional elected clerk.
A citizens petition asks voters to allow creation of an assistant town administrator position, which the article states could be focused on grant writing and other duties assigned by the town administrator.
