It’s 7:06 and the Annual Town Meeting is about to get underway. There are 364 residents in attendance making this one of the most well-attended Town Meetings in years. With the budget and override debate on the warrant, that’s not a surprise.
Moderator Shawn Reilly kicked off the meeting with a reminder that it’s the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declararation of Independance. He brought up how on March 19, 1770 Abington residents voted to endorse the Noble Resolves, which called on citizens to fight tyranny and the monarchy.
The Abington High Marching Band played the National Anthem.
Moderator Reilly announced that the Annual Report is dedicated to Library Director Deborah Grimmett, who has worked for the town library for 40 years.
Town Manager Michael Maresco addressed Abington Annual Town Meeting for the first time as the town’s chief administrative officer. He said the town faces serious financial challenges generated by reduced state aid and rising costs, not because of waste or misappropriation.
He said residents will be asked to approve a level funded budget, which will rsults in substantial cuts to the schools, police department, and other town functions. It will also be asked to approve a level serviced budget, which will require the passage of a Proposition 2 1/2 override later this month.
ARTICLE 1 — Approved without questions.
ARTICLE 2 – Funds for ARC of the South Shore. Approved without questions.
ARTICLE 3 — Funding for the Health Imperative which supports violence protection programs. Approved without questions.
ARTICLE 4 — $25,000 for matching grant funding. The Finance Committee moved to pass it over and Town Meeting agreed.
ARTICLE 5 — Finance Committee made motion to transfer $20,000 to cover public sfatye costs for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Abington Celebrates events. Resident Katie Comis asked about history of providing funds for private events. Chief John Bonney said nobody really knew answer how to pay for this. The parade we just had was shy of $9,000. He said his fear isn’t just that there’s a shooting ut somebody is going to take a car and run through the route. Select Board Member Ken Coyle said he was speaking as director for Abington Celebrates. He said its not a private event, it’s open to the public. Finance Committee Chair Matt Salah said parade costs have been covered by Town Meeting for several years. Chief Bonney said while other civic groups pay for police costs, such as the Summer Concerts, that thsoe events don’t require the level of public safety coverage. Jan Prall, who volunteers with the Summer Concert Series and parade organizers, said the parade still covers all costs of groups and that fuding this will also thank all the volunteers who work to put the events on for the community. Responding to a question, Chief Bonney said the town covers the cost of Abington police officers; the presence of regional response units comes from elsewhere. The motion carried.
ARTICLE 6 – Paying prior years bills. It passed unanimously avoiding the need for a standing vote.
ARTICLE 7 — Sick time for a retiring police officer was approved unanimously.
ARTICLE 8 — Passed over as contract negotiations are ongoing.
ARTICLE 9 — Pays a grant deficit left over from ARPA. No questions from residents.
ARTICLE 10 — Without questions approved spending money from the towns opioid settlement trust fund.
ARTICLE 11 — Town Meeting said yes to spending $583k from the state for roadway repairs.
ARTICLE 12 — Town Meeting approved an update to the South Shore Vo Tech charter which is expanding to include Pembroke. There were no questions. Approving this may actually slightly reduce the town’s paymets for the upcoming school buidling project.
ARTICLE 13 — The Budget.
Tim Leonelli, a middle/high school music teacher, said he was speaking as a resident of the town. He said this is happening in dozens of towns. If a level funded budget is approved it will result in significnat cuts. “That our kids would result less of an education next year is disheartening,” he said. He said he was voting no on a level funded bduget and yes on a level services budget.
Matt Salah reminded the crowd that it can vote yes on both budgets, so that if the override vote fails, there is still a balanced budget for the town (just with cuts).
Shawn Reilly said if the level funded budget isn’t approved, and the ovrride fails, the town will have to call a Special Town Meeting prior to the start of the next fiscal year on July 1, 2026.
Responding to a question about why a level funded budget is still $3millioj higher than the current year budget, Salah said because the town has certain costs, such as debt service, pensions, slaries, health insurance are contractually required to increase. “We’re funding te same department budgets but the fixed costs go up,” he said.
A resident asked what wkuld happen to special education services if the town passes a level funded budget. Schools Superintendent Felicia Moschella said the reduction in services would result in reduction of special education services but nothing that reduced students IEPS, which schools are legally required to provide.
Maria Manning, of SUmmit Road, asked if the override would increae taxes only one year. Salah said the override increases taxes in perpuity the amount approved.
Chris Murphy of Chestnut Street, said part of budget is free cash, which is surplus from previous year’s budgets. How much is left once we use the $2.9 million in this budget? Finance Director Andrew Nocon, wearing a Star Trek uniform on May 4, said the town will have about $76k in free cash account.
Former State Representative and DEA Director Michael Sullivan, asked why the level funded budget is 4% more than the current year’s budget. Salah said the budget factors in pay increases, health insurance, debt service, other factors out of control of the different departments. “We chose the word level funded because its close to level funded than level services,” he said, adding that the Finance Committee has debated this exact semantic point at its meetings.
The level-funded budget was overwhelmingly approved on a voice vote.
Paul Mollica said about 50 cities and towns are facing overrides and with the Legislature in the middle of its budget process, and asked what’s being done to get more money from the state?
Town Manager Maresco said the House already has approved its budget. Local aid is up about 1%, “which is really a cut,” he said. He said the state is dealing with its own budget issues, partly due to cuts in federal funding.
State Rep. Alyson Sullivan-Almeida said she filed several amendments to the House budget, including for student transportation and unrestricted general government aid, but none were successful.
Fire Chief Jack Glynn said this has been a tough process. He said a level funded budget would require a $275k cut. He said he thinks the department will be able to preserve the town’s second ambulance but its not guaranteed, if there is a cut. He said both ambulances are frontline ambulances, that one isn’t a reserve or backup. Will cut training programs and other services, if it fails. “If we dont get that override there’s going to be times we wont have that second ambulance,” he said.
Police Chief Bonney said the department faces cuts to staff. Would lose 6 patrol officers, all who were recently hired. Would lose a records clerk, partime firearms clerk, property and evidence officer, court prosecutor (curently filled by a retired part-time officer), meaning four other officers would be taken off the street. The two school resource officers would be placed back on street patrols. Cuts would also leave positions empty covering sick days and vacation time.
Superintendent Moschella said the budgte request does not include new teachers, services or programs. “If override does not pass we cannto bridge a $1.6m gap on small effeciencies and cutting back on supplies, which we have done already.” She said 90 percent of the budget covers personnel costs. She said the cuts include reading specialists, middle school teachers, and 11 support staff. She said the cuts will “fundamentally change” the schools.
DPW Superintendent John Stone said cuts will result in reductions to stormwater maintenance and other services.
Council on Aging Director Amy Barrett said the funding was important to protect services for town seniors.
Library Director Grimmett said the library nnmber is small, less than 1% of the town budget. She said the library won’t lose staff, the cuts will come from the book budget. State rules say 15% of library expenses have to cover books and resources. “If we spent money on books from state aid, let’s less money for technology,” she said. “We’re looking at a domino effect.” She said if the library loses its accredidation, it will limit its abilty to borrow from other regional libraries.
Town Manager Maresco said the cuts will include funding for Medicare costs, an inability to hire a part-time IT staffer, veterans benefits. Reducation in health department funding means may not be able to participate in shared programs with other towns.
Donna Gendreau asked if we can vote on the budget departments individually?
Salah said if we vote no on this article, what happens at the ballot doesn’t matter. If w vote yes on this any of them can pass.
Reilly said yes there could be a motion to vote seperately.
Sullivan said our family has benefited from everyone of those towns and offices (asking for an override). “Everyone of those departmemts has done an extraordinary job,” he said. “We support all seven of the override requests” and encourage people to allow them onto the ballot.
Christine Smith, of Dorsey Street, said when we go to vote it means nothing. But she asked the town to publish on the town’s website a calculator breaking down the cost of each choice.
A resident asked how much the increase will be when the fire station complex and South Shore Vo-Tech school all hit the tax bill. Maresco ran through some numbers that were printed on a handout. For a $500,000 house, the total of all three would be about $900.
Finance Committee Member Emily Groszewski asked what the cost would be to the police department in higher coverage and overtime and other personnel costs. Chief Bonney said about $1 million which would from free cash or other sources.
A woman asked if its state law that the departmental money approved this year through the override doesn’t get applied to the same budgets next year. Salah said that’s correct. The override vote just increases the tax levy (the amnount of property tax revenue the town can raise). In next year’s budget “we start all over again,” Reilly said.
Paul Mullen said he was disappointed the Select Board split the override into seven options. Schools Comittee Member Chris Coyle said he echoed Mullen’s feelings about the menu option.
Coyle said he thinks its getting late but its time to move the question and let people make the decision in private in the ballot box.
Mike Franey, of Washington Street, said he supports the overrides but is agitated with the process, that people should be able to vote individually on the budgets. He also asked what happens next year? What’s your Town Manager’s prediction.
Maresco said Im not going to lie to Town Meeting and say everything will be rosy. We have to wait and see but one thing believe in is having an open process.
Joe Shea moved the question at 9:29 p.m., bringing cheers from the crowd.
Reilly allowed Finance Committee Member Barbara Rae to briefly addressed next year, saying we’re going to be in a similar position next year. And we need to address the trash situation, she said.
The level services budget was approved loudly by a voice vote. There were a few scattered no votes.