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Date: 5/18/2022
WORTHINGTON – High winds and chilly temperatures didn’t stop voters from leaving home May 7 to vote for candidates and keep the fire chief a part-time position.
According to Katrin Kaminsky, town clerk, Annual Town Meeting (ATM) lasted about three hours. The ballot question that triggered the most discussion was the decision to fund the fire chief position with a full-time salary. The details of the warrant showed that last year the chief earned $5,608 as a part-timer. As a full-time position, the line item would’ve increased the budget by $59,392, to $65,000.
That salary proved too much for the voters. “That was defeated,” Kaminsky said.
The third year of holding the town’s ATM outdoors, in a tent, saw a very respectable turnout that started with 85 people and ended up with about 140. Kaminsky said there was little discussion of the general town budget or the school budget. A $90,000 increase in group insurance costs was somewhat offset by a $55,000 drop in Hampshire County retirement expenses.
Residents voted to purchase a new backhoe for $120,000 and a 10-wheeled dump truck for $360,000. The Police Department budget line showed an increase of slightly more than 6 percent while proposed spending for the Fire Department, with a part-time chief, went up by almost 10 percent. The school levy for the Hampshire Regional district rose by about $60,000 to $1,3 million.
“There was virtually no discussion about the school budget or the general government budget,” Kaminsky said. “There was some discussion in a couple secret ballot votes when it came to that fire chief, full-time.”
Kaminsky commented that the new Ford F-150 police cruiser, funded by Article 22, set the town back more than the $47,243 listed.
“That’s how much had to be transferred from stabilization,” Kaminsky said. “But there was another $24,000 insurance payoff for the previous one that got totaled. So the total of those two is what that vehicle really cost.”
A change in the bylaw and zoning regulations for inlaw apartments drew a few questions before it passed. Voters also funded $2,758 for a grill, benches and a table for the town park.
The town elections, Kaminsky said, drew a total of 267 voters. While last years elections drew fewer voters, Kaminsky expected a higher turnout. She suggested that accommodations for the COVID-19 pandemic that were discontinued may have reduced voting.
“Now that the state has not extended that legislation about vote by mail and … early voting in person,” Kaminsky said, “those options weren’t there. [But] a fair number of people came out to vote. That’s always good to see.”
Two contested races drew five hopefuls, but it was not a successful year for challengers. Paul Dunlevy drew 130 votes, 15 more than challenger Amanda Spiess, to retain his seat on the Finance Committee.
Anthony (Tiger) Thomas, Alison Todd and Cai Walkowiak competed for a three-year seat on the School Committee. Todd, the incumbent, won another term with 190 votes to 185 votes for Walkowiak and 106 for Thomas.
Kaminsky, busy with her ATM duties, didn’t hear any comments from voters waiting in line. She lauded challenger Thomas’ vote count of 106 by saying, “He got a fair number of votes.”
Kaminsky appreciated that decorum was maintained. The 2022 ATM and elections passed in typical fashion, though under the canvas of a tent.
“No other races on the ballot, no debt exclusion questions,” Kaminsky said. “It was, overall, a very typical town meeting, although cold and windy.”