The oft-stated goal of last night’s meeting between the Advisory Committee and K-8 School Committee was “to find a way to move forward” after a very public breakdown in communication between the two groups. Whether they did that remains to be seen. Read the full article → from Advisory Committee, School Committee fail to see eye-to-eye
Government
MWDN: Southborough selectmen support library budget hike
I attended the Board of Selectmen meeting last night from the comfort of my couch which meant I could hear most, but not all, of the compelling discussion about the library’s budget (remember those mics, folks!). Given that, I’ll let Brad from the Metrowest Daily News do the heavy lifting in recaping the discussion. Read the full article → from MWDN: Southborough selectmen support library budget hike
Advisory Committee, School Committee to discuss budget communication woes
A week after an Advisory Committee member publicly called out the K-8 School Committee for refusing to engage in debate over the school budget, the two committees will meet on Wednesday to hash out their differences. Read the full article → from Advisory Committee, School Committee to discuss budget communication woes
The week in government (2/13/12 – 2/17/12)
A list of department and committee meetings for the week. Read the full article → from The week in government (2/13/12 – 2/17/12)
Advisory Committee member says school committee uncooperative during budget process (UPDATED)
At the beginning of the budget season, Advisory Committee member John Butler volunteered to be the committee’s liaison to the K-8 School Committee. His goal was to help the finance committee better understand the school’s budget so it could make an informed recommendation to Town Meeting about what voters should approve. Read the full article → from Advisory Committee member says school committee uncooperative during budget process (UPDATED)
Local election season off to a slow start
It’s been a bit of a slow start to this year’s local election season. Since the process kicked off in early January, only nine residents have pulled papers to run for office. At this (admittedly still early) point in the game, there are no contested races and some positions have no interested candidates. Read the full article → from Local election season off to a slow start
Superintendent further trims K-8 school budget request
Calling it a “very modest increase,” Superintendent Charles Gobron asked the K-8 School Committee last night to approve a budget that represents a 0.68% increase over the previous year. The school committee voted to do just that, but not before some debate over the request. Read the full article → from Superintendent further trims K-8 school budget request
Selectmen adopt legislation that will give the town more control over health care costs
Selectmen late last month adopted a state law that will give them more leverage in negotiating health care costs with the unions. It’s a move that could save the town upwards of $500K, but selectmen said they don’t plan to implement any changes right away. Read the full article → from Selectmen adopt legislation that will give the town more control over health care costs
Southborough’s state legislators face challenges this election season
The local election field is starting to shape up, and it looks like both of Southborough’s legislators in the State House – Senator Jamie Eldridge and Representative Carolyn Dykema – will face challenges in their bids for re-election. Read the full article → from Southborough’s state legislators face challenges this election season
Zoning board asks for more information on Capasso plans
The pair who hope to return Capasso Farms to its former glory went before the Zoning Board of Appeals for a second time late last month. Board members were still mixed on whether they would grant the necessary variances. Read the full article → from Zoning board asks for more information on Capasso plans
The week in government (2/6/12 – 2/10/12)
A list of department and committee meetings for the week. Read the full article → from The week in government (2/6/12 – 2/10/12)
Southborough public safety chiefs warn against proposed budget cuts
Southborough’s public safety chiefs went before the Board of Selectmen and Advisory Committee last night to make the case for a level-service budget for next year. Both Interim Fire Chief Michael Dunne and Police Chief Jane Moran said proposed cuts would harm their already understaffed departments. Read the full article → from Southborough public safety chiefs warn against proposed budget cuts
Residents say town manager legislation goes too far
There were no fireworks at last night’s well-attended public meeting to discuss the pros and cons of moving to a town manager form of government – just plenty of thoughtful discussion. I was impressed all around. Read the full article → from Residents say town manager legislation goes too far
Lively debate predicted at tonight’s town manager legislation meeting
The Metrowest Daily News predicts a lively debate at tonight’s public meeting to discuss whether Southborough should move to a town manager form of government. If the comments on this blog are any indication, there’s a pretty good chance they’ll be right. Read the full article → from Lively debate predicted at tonight’s town manager legislation meeting