Chester Town Meeting News
Chester 2020 Town Meeting Results
By Penny Williams 6-22-20
Saturday, June 20, was a hot day for an outdoor Town Meeting but about a 150 Chester residents took advantage of the opportunity to express their opinions on the Town Warrant ballot and the town's operating budget was approved.
When the cars arrived at the Chester Academy entrance the occupants were given a Town Meeting packet and cars were parked at the Chester Academy parking lot. The speakers voices came through participant's car radios and residents were ready with their colored tickets preprinted ballot vote decisions for them to wave out the car window to register their vote. Election Supervisors scooted around on golf carts checking votes.
Most important, the Town operating budget, Article 16, was approved by residents. The Operating Budget, approved by both the Board of Selectmen and the Budget Committee, calls for a budget of $4,998,655 with the following amounts for specific appropriations:
* General Government - $2,215,913
* Public Safety - $1,1420,030
* Highways, Streets, Bridges - $758,823
* Sanitation - $218,638
* Health & Welfare- $42,212
* Culture & Recreation - $289,812
* Conservation & Economic development - $1,205
* Debt Service - $52,022
A number of Warrant articles were tabled for another year given the current situation which shortened the meeting somewhat. The Warrant Articles tabled Included:
* Road Agent Mike Oleson's Article 9, for a $3,000,000 road bond
* Road Agent Mike Oleson's Article 23, for a $50,000 tree removal fund
* Road Agent Mike Oleson's Article 25, for $105,000 for the winter maintenance fund replenishment
* Fire Chief Greg Bolduc's Article 10 for $192,491 for two new firefighters.
* PACT Chair Bob Grimm's Articles 13 and 14, for the establishment of the PACT revolving fund and the discontinuation of the PACT special revenue fund
* Town Clerk/Tax Collector Liz Lufkin's Article 28, to add an extra $5 fee on registrations for a transportation fund
* Great Hill Cemetery Trustees' Article 29, to establish a Maintenance and Expansion Trust Fund.
The only article on the lengthy 32 Article ballot that failed to pass was Article 31, a Petitioned Article calling for changing Columbus Day Holiday to Indigenous Peoples Day in Chester in order to honor Native Americans, our country's first inhabitants.