In Rockland, voters at Town Meeting approved emergency fund transfers, Town Charter changes, and a $65 million operating budget.
Temperature checks were conducted at the door, and seating was spread out in the High School auditorium.
All articles on the Special warrant were approved, including an emergency fund transfer of $558,758 for the FY 20 budget. A total of $200,000 in upgrades for the Abington-Rockland Joint Water Works were approved, using money that was not spent in past Town Meeting articles.
Voters approved a $65,358,903.59 general fund operating budget for FY 21. Selectman Mike O’Loughlin said this was a difficult budget, but it does not include layoffs on the town side.
“We have no idea what is going to be available for us in state and local aid. We put together a projection for a 10 percent decrease, if it’s a 20 percent decrease, and continue to plan,” said O’Loughlin. “We have still, to this point, really haven’t got a great idea of what’s going to come to us in the state and local aid.”
The budget approved at Town Meeting included $2.8 million in reductions from the original proposed budget. Facing a $1.3 million revenue shortfall, voters approved articles that included a $500,000 transfer from stabilization, $250,000 from the OPEB trust, and $130,199.05 from free cash.
Changes to the Town Charter were approved, including a reduction of votes needed by the Selectmen to remove the Town Administrator. Instead of four, a home rule petition would make it two-thirds.
The Youth Commission would be renamed to the Recreation Commission. Selectman Rich Penney was the liaison to the Charter Review Committee. With the name change, the town would be eligible for new grants.
“There has been quite a few people that have been looking at the Charter, I mean the Charter dates back to 1970, with a handful of changes or revisions in that time,” said Penney. “We’re talking 50 years ago, things have changed dramatically since then. I think we took it upon ourselves to really dive in and see where those changes can be made.”
Voters approved Community Preservation Fund projects, such as new sprinklers at the McKinley School, signalization along the Rail Trail, and a 7.3-acre land purchase next to Hartsuff Park.
Special and Annual Town Meeting concluded in one night.