ROYALSTON — With just one more article to dispense with, Royalston officials hoped to close the books on the town’s 2022 Annual Town Meeting tonight. After voters dealt with all but one of the 28 articles on the warrant, the meeting was recessed to give the Selectboard and Finance Committee time to nail down details needed to address Article 6.
That article asks voters to “transfer a sum of money from Free Cash to Stabilization…” The proposal was passed over because the amount of cash to be transferred had not yet been determined. Residents are likely to keep an eye on that total because several articles approved during the first installment of the Annual Town Meeting on June 11 depleted the stabilization fund to a relatively low level. The transfer of funds from free cash is meant to refill piggy bank.
As of Tuesday’s story filing deadline, the amount voters will be asked to transfer had yet to be determined because the state had not yet certified the amount of free cash in the town’s coffers. If the number doesn’t come prior to tonight’s meeting, a decision must be made regarding how to proceed.
“I’m waiting to hear from the town accountant tonight whether we have the free cash number,” said Selectboard Chair Deb D’Amico. “If we don’t, I need an estimate from her on when this can happen. If we decide the best route is to continue the town meeting again, we need a date certain to do that. Either that or we just table it, close the meeting, and then schedule a Special Town Meeting when we know the amount.
“I talked to George Northrup, the town moderator, today and those seem to be the two options.”
Tonight’s reconvened town meeting will get under way at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall auditorium on the second floor.
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com