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Date: 1/4/2023
LUDLOW – The theme for 2023 will be creating efficiencies for residents of Ludlow, according to Town Administrator Marc Strange.
“Whenever we can, we are looking at making the town government structure more efficient for taxpayers. Right now, there are a lot of different islands and domains that makes it difficult to maximize the value of taxpayers’ dollars,” Strange said.
The Board of Selectmen have also been vocal in the past about eventually changing the town’s form of government to make things run more efficiently.
There will be a special town meeting on Jan. 9 that will start the process of fixing the structure of the town government according to Strange.
The first two articles on the warrant are both questions that need to be approved to be put on the ballot in March.
Residents would then have to vote to see those changes take place.
The Board of Selectmen are looking to have the powers of the Board of Public Works (BPW) transferred to them because of the complaints of past BPW supervisors who have left and resident complaints.
The Board of Selectmen would deal with the policies and contracts that come with the duties of BPW while DPW will execute the tasks needed.
Strange said, “Combining the treasurer and collector offices as well as consolidating the Board of Public Works under the Board of Selectmen. These are all things that the state has come in and recommended after doing an audit of the town government.”
Strange and the Board of Selectmen have voiced their concerns over the last few months with the BPW and said they would like to see changes made.
The third article would authorize the town to initiate the process for aggregating municipal electric.
“There is a program through the state that allows towns to aggregate their electric load so that any resident who wants to be a part of it can buy down the cost of their electricity based on demands,” Strange added.
The final article will look for the town to adopt a state statute that explains, “If you are a contractor in town and pull permits, you can do that while being a part-time building inspector as long as you are not inspecting your own job.”
Strange said that the town is looking to fund a part-time building inspector but has received no application.
Strange said, “If there is a contractor in town who might have capacity to work part-time as a building inspector in Ludlow, right now if they do that, they cannot pull permits. They would basically have to give up their business to work part-time. This article would change that so they could continue to pull permits and work in Ludlow while being a part-time building inspector.”
The Ludlow Mills property is another element that the town of Ludlow can look forward to being a focus in 2023.
Strange said, “Riverside Drive was recently accepted as a public way. MassWorks is looking to develop some of those parcels. They will also be putting in a new additional drive with four new parcels carved out which is important tax revenue for the town.”
Strange ended with making a goal for 2023.
“There are a lot of inefficiencies that have existed in the town government. In the past nine months we have put together some initiatives and made some changes to make the taxpayers dollars go further and we will continue to do so,” Strange said.