Franklin Matters: Franklin, MA: Town Council - Agenda

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Franklin, MA: Town Council - Agenda - April 6, 2016

The Town Council agenda for Wednesday's meeting is one page and rich with links to the associated documents released for this agenda. (Note: one document for the proposal on the funding for sidewalks has a broken link. When it gets corrected, I'll update the link here.)

The Town Council gets to authorize the spending of a whole bunch of our money this week.

$1.1 million from the Water Enterprise account
$1.2 million from the Sewer Enterprise account
$1.9 million from free cash for capital improvements

All the funds are appropriately being spent (according to my view) but this is one of the key points where the low voter turnout at the local town elections can be visibly seen. These dollars are what the Council spends on our behalf. They affect so much of what we do here in Franklin on a daily basis. Yet, so few of us (less than 20%) bother to vote and hence give up our say in how these funds are spent.

The budget cycle is beginning. Meetings at the Finance Committee, the School Committee, and then the Town Council determine the priority of your tax dollars. This is the time to let your representatives know where you would like the priorities to be made. You can complain all you want about the quality of road conditions but if you don't say something, the money will not be put aside for them to be corrected. If you believe the schools deserve additional funding, this is the time to let your voice be heard.

Money is also being added to the "Athletic Fields Capital Improvement Stabilization Fund". At some time in the future, this money will be spent to replace the artificial turf fields. How will they be replaced? With the same materials? Or with a better version that maybe healthier for our kids to play on? This is one opportunity to let the Council know of your concerns.