Town Meeting Voters to Decide 2024 Budget

Voters at the May 8 Town Meeting will be asked to approve a FY’24 budget of $69.1 million.

That figure represents a 3.5 percent increase over the current fiscal year’s budget.

The biggest portion of the budget is designated to education - $33.3 million.
Fixed costs and debt service add up to $15, 650,950.

The budget for Public Safety is $11.2 million, a five percent increase over the current fiscal year.

Another article will ask for the appropriation of $100,000 to fund a feasibility study on the Seekonk Public Library.

Last July, the Library had been awarded a $7.3 million grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners for the construction of a new building.

Michael Durkay, chairman of the Library Board of Trustees, noted the grant was “provisional”, which meant the voters had to approve the grant at a special election to be held before January 9, 2023.

Voters at the October 25, 2022 special town meeting rejected plans to build a new $24 million public library.

The new building would have replaced the current 14,880 square foot facility at 410 Newman Avenue.

A proposal for a $19.6 million library was defeated at the May 2021 town meeting.

Other articles include:
• To see if the Town will vote to appropriate $150,000 from the Community Preservation Fund Undesignated Reserve for the Medeiros Farm Committee, under the direction of the Board of Selectmen, to seek, hire, and direct a consultant to develop a master plan for the Medeiros Farm project at Elm Street and Lincoln Street.
• To see if the Town will vote to acquire, by gift, purchase, eminent domain or otherwise, six (6) parcels of land in Seekonk, located at 34 Hammond Street; 0 Hammond Street; 291 Chestnut Street; 297 Chestnut Street; 303 Chestnut Street, and 0 Chestnut Street, containing 6.46 acres, more or less, with any improvements thereon; and to appropriate and transfer from the Community Preservation Budgeted Reserve Fund the amount of $560,000 for the purchase of said property; and to authorize the Board of Selectmen to take any and all actions to carry out the purposes of this article.
• To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to dispose of surplus property or material, exclusive of buildings and land, but including compost, no longer needed by the Town, or take any other action relative thereto.

The meeting begins at 7 pm at Seekonk High School. The entire warrant can be viewed on the town website: www.seekonk-ma.gov.