Spring Town Meeting is just around the corner

May 30, 2023

Town Meeting members at the Dartmouth Spring Town Meeting will be asked to approve an overall budget of $99.7 million, add communications coordinator and a facilities supervisor positions and set regulations for donation bins, among other issues.

Significant items on the agenda include:

Approval of a 2024 budget of $99.7 million, which represents a three percent increase over the current spending.

Creating the budget reflected fiscal challenges the town is facing, according to the report issued by the Finance Committee. As with the general public, the town has felt the pressure of inflation, and slow supply chains, the committee wrote.

The town is also seeing a number of unfilled positions, according to the committee, due to “lack of candidate experience and less than competitive compensation,’’ as well as what committee members described as “an ever-growing number of unfunded mandates,’’ which refers to actions the town is mandated to take by law but which are not paid for by the state.

The average tax bill in Dartmouth is $3,696, and future capital projects and contractual obligations will largely come from taxes, which the Finance Committee is “very concerned about.’’ Town officials and Town Meeting members will have to keep a close eye on this going forward, the committee said.

Other issues to be voted on by meeting members include the potential addition of a communications coordinator for the town, at a cost of $70,000. This position would provide outreach and communication to the public through various means, including website, social media, print and television media. This position is important, Town Administrator Shawn MacInness has said, to keep the public better informed about what is happening in the community.

The position replaces a confidential licensing aide position, which was eliminated through online efficiency changes. This change will increase the budget by $15,000.

Two other jobs are also proposed. One is a part-time scanning and clerical staff, at a salary of $35,250, which will allow continued scanning of property records. This post, which also provides clerical support for the select board, was previously funded through grants.

A facilities supervisor position is proposed at a cost of $65,000, which will provide planning for Parks and Recreation, support for park operations and assistance with facilities operations and safety compliance, among other duties.

Another issue meeting members will look at is the proposed bylaw to register donation bins in town. Concerns have been raised about trash that sometimes fills and even overflows these bins. Supporters of this issue say the registration would allow better oversight of the bins.

Other articles include routine financial transfers and approval of community preservation projects, which are funded through a portion of residents’ tax bills that is dedicated to supporting preservation of open space and historic sites, among other issues.

The meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday June 6, at the auditorium of Dartmouth High School, 555 Bakerville Road.