In Ware, Question 4 presents to residents a Proposition 2 1/2 override to pay for a bond issued to construct improvements at the wastewater treatment plant in town.
Ballots in several Western Massachusetts municipalities will include questions that affect only that city or town, with issues ranging from $1.4 million in school spending in Easthampton, to funding a wastewater treatment plant upgrade in Ware to establishing a tax exemption for farmers in Granby.
Easthampton residents face a Proposition 2 1/2 property tax override of $1.4 million to increase funding for the school department and the operating budget for fiscal year 2013. The outcome of Question 4 will affect the tax rate. The fiscal year 2012 tax rate is $13.27 per thousand.
The Easthampton School Committee is seeking the override to close the approximate $660,000 budget gap in fiscal 2013, as well as to restore programs that have been cut over the past several years and to improve education into the future.
In Ware, Question 4 presents to residents a Proposition 2 1/2 override to pay for a bond issued to construct improvements at the wastewater treatment plant in town. During an August Town Meeting voters overwhelmingly approved borrowing $1 million to fund the proposed $4.5 million upgrade for the aging wastewater treatment plant.
Questions 4 and 5 in Bernardston ask residents to approve an override to purchase a new truck for the highway department and to fund the replacement of the roof at the Bernardston Elementary School.
Hugh Campbell, administrative assistant to the Board of Selectmen, said both the roof and the truck were approved during a June 7 Town Meeting.
He said the ballot questions will allow the town to pay for the bond used to fund the projects. The roof cost about $192,000 while the Highway Department truck with equipment was $182,235.