ATHOL — Two Proposition 2½ debt exclusions that appeared on the ballot for the nnual election on Monday, April 4, each passed by overwhelming margins. Question 1, which sought funding for the repair of the Pinedale Avenue and Fryeville Road bridges and for the pedestrian bridge beneath Crescent Street, received an affirmative vote of 188-46. Question 2, which proposed funding for the purchase of a new pumper truck for the Athol Fire Department, passed by a 163-71 margin. The two questions now must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote at the Annual Town Meeting on Monday, June 13.
“In the case of the bridges,” said Town Manager Shaun Suhoski, “we’re looking at a 20-year borrow item to cover those. It’s probably a 50-year to 80-year lifespan for the project, but we’ll borrow over 20 years.
“The estimated impact on the tax rate is estimated at 23 cents per thousand. Based on the current single family home value — which is currently $206,800, according to the assessor — the cost of the bridges for the first year, for the entire year, would be $47.57 on that average value. Some homes are valued less, many are valued more, but that is somewhere near the mid-point. That bond would be paid off in 20 years, when it would come off the tax rate.”
As for the pumper truck, said Suhoski, “The estimate is $725,000. It’s something we want to pay off quickly because rolling stock — equipment and trucks and cars and DPW and police — you put them all together and there’s always a need to keep current. This bond would be five years in length and would then come off the tax roll.
“The estimated cost is 17 cents per thousand. So, on that average single-family home value, that first year would be $35.16 on the tax bill. If they both get approved, the average taxpayer is going to pay $82.73 in that first year, and then it goes down until the bonds are paid off. That equates to about $6.89 per month.”
Suhoski said funding for the bridges will allow the town to continue improving safety for visitors and residents.
“The town will have made some great progress on these key infrastructure projects,” said Suhoski, “I believe we have four bridges that have been completed in the past five years, and this will be two more. And the Commonwealth has pledged to do the bridge on Main Street that goes over the railroad tracks as you come into downtown.
“We’re trying to maximize, to the extent we can, getting grants. In fact, if the voters approve these funds, we’re still going to seek to leverage — if we can get design done — we’re going to apply to get construction through the funds that the federal government will pass on down to the state. This puts Athol ahead of the pack because we have that local match, the ability to get the design done. We’re going to leverage everything we can on behalf of the taxpayers.”
Also on Monday, June 4, voters in Royalston voted to make a change on the town’s Selectboard. Challenger Rick Martin outpolled incumbent Roland Hamel 93-64 in the only contest on the ballot.
On Tuesday, Martin told the Athol Daily News, “I’m real excited to get this role. I’m really excited to get started. And I’m really humbled that the people chose me to do the job and I hope I can live up to their expectations.”
Martin said he’d had the opportunity to speak with Hamel Tuesday morning.
“I congratulated him on the job he did — he did a great job,” he said. “This was never about what he did or how he did it or anything like that. This was just about offering people an alternative.
“He kind of clued me in on what he thought was important and he left it open that if I needed to talk to him or run anything by him, he was more than happy to do that.”
Martin didn’t have a whole lot of time to savor the win. His first Selectboard meeting was Tuesday night, April 5, less than 24 hours after the polls closed.
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com