Town Meeting @ May 19, 2026 6:30 PM EDT

[sup...@mytowngovernment.org]

The following meeting has been scheduled:

Town(s): Barre, MA;
Board: Town Meeting
Time: Tuesday May 19 @ 6:30 PM EDT
Location: Ruggles Lane School

Agenda:
DRAFT WARRANT ARTICLES

Article 1: Reports from Committees
To see if the Town will vote to accept the reports of the Select Board, Finance Committee, School Committee and any other department or committee and act thereon, or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 2: Payment of Bills from a Prior Fiscal Year
To see if the Town will vote to transfer from available funds a sum of money to pay bills from a prior fiscal year or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 3: FY2026 Transfer from Sewer Retained Earnings – Compact Loader
To see if the Town will vote to transfer the sum of $75,775.00 from sewer retained earnings to the replacement account to purchase and equip a compact loader and hydraulic boom, including all incidental or related costs, or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 4: FY2026 Transfer from Sewer Retained Earnings – Heat Pumps
To see if the Town will vote to transfer the sum of $14,520.00 from sewer retained earnings, to the sewer equipment account for the installation of heat pumps at the wastewater treatment facility, including all incidental or related costs, or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 5: FY2026 Transfer from Sewer Retained Earnings – Debt Service
To see if the Town will vote to transfer a sum of money from sewer retained earnings, to the sewer expense account to pay a portion of the interest and legal costs due on the treatment facility upgrade bond anticipation note, or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 6: FY2026 Transfer from Water Retained Earnings – Pick-Up Truck
To see if the Town will vote to transfer the sum of $87,024.75 from water retained earnings, to the water pickup truck account to purchase and equip a Ford F-350, or equivalent model pick-up truck, and plow for the Water Department, including all incidental or related costs, or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 7: FY2026 Funding of Overlay
To see if the Town will vote to transfer from General Stabilization a sum of money to fund the FY2026 Overlay account.

Article 8: FY2026 Funding of Fire Truck Lease Payment
To see if the Town will vote to transfer from General Stabilization a sum of money to fund the FY2026 fire truck lease payment.

Article 9: FY2026 General Fund Budget Transfers – Snow and Ice
To see if the Town will vote to transfer from General Stabilization a sum of money to fund the Snow and Ice FY2026 deficit, or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 10: FY2027 Water Enterprise Budget
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow or transfer from Water Receipts a sum of money for the operations and maintenance of the municipal water system for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026; or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 11: FY2027 Sewer Enterprise Budget
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow or transfer from Sewer Receipts a sum of money for the operations and maintenance of the municipal sewer system for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026; or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 12: FY 2027 Omnibus Budget
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from any available source of funds sums of money to pay Town charges and expenses for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 and vote to fix salary and compensation of all elected officials of the Town in accordance with the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 41, Section 108, effective July 1, 2026 and make all appropriations for the same; or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 13: FY 2027 Omnibus Budget - Schools
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money to pay school charges and expenses for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 and make all appropriations for the same; or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 14: PEG Access and Cable Related Fund
To see if the Town will vote to transfer a sum of $25,000.00 from the PEG Access and Cable Related Fund to operate the Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) Access and Cable Related Fund established pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 44, Section 53F ¾ for fiscal year 2027, and for the purpose of funding capital projects relating to the operation of PEG and anything incidental or related thereto; or take any action relative thereto.

Article 15: Revolving Funds
To see what spending limits the Town will establish for revolving accounts established pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 44, Section 53E ½ and the Town’s Bylaws, Chapter 48, Section 1, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026; or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 16: Chapter 90 Grant
To see if the Town will vote to accept any and all state highway assistance funds authorized by the state legislature and approved by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation- Highway Division under the so-called Chapter 90 Highway Assistance Program to be expended for the maintenance, repair and construction of Town roads in anticipation of reimbursement under the direction of the Select Board for work on roads located on the State Aid Primary System as approved by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation-Highway Division, and further to authorize the Treasurer/Collector, with the approval of the Select Board, to borrow

money from time to time during Fiscal Year 2027 up to the reimbursable amount, for the period from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, in anticipation of reimbursement of said highway assistance in conformity with the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 44, Section 6A, or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 17: Local Option Meals Tax
To see if the Town will vote to accept the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 64L, Section 2 so as to impose a local sales tax upon the sale of restaurant meals originating within the town by a vendor at a rate of 0.75 per cent of the gross receipts of the vendor from the sale of restaurant meals, or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 18: Local Option Rooms Tax

To see if the Town will vote to accept the provisions of Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 64G, Section 3A so as to impose a local option room occupancy excise tax at a rate of 6%, or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 19: Department of Public Works Special Act Abolishment
To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to petition the General Court for special legislation to reorganize the department of public works so as to abolish the Public Works Commission and to make the Superintendent of Public Works a position appointed by the Select Board, in consultation with the Town Administrator, by repealing Chapter 56 of the Acts of 1988 and replacing it with a new Department of Public Works Act, as shown below; provided, however, that the General Court may make clerical or editorial changes of form only to the bill, unless the Select Board approves amendments to the bill before enactment by the General Court, and authorizing the Select Board to approve any amendments which shall be within the scope of the general public objectives of the petition; or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 20: Appointment of Paid Part-Time Assessor
To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Assessors to appoint one of its members to a paid part-time position under their supervision as allowed by Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 268A, Section 21A, to fix the compensation of such appointee and to raise and to appropriate or transfer from available funds a sum of money to fund such position; or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 21: Assessors Recertification of Properties
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow, or transfer from available funds, a sum of money to pay for costs associated with the Assessors Recertification of properties, Special Appraisal Expenses, Cyclical Re-Inspection and Annual Interim Adjustments and anything incidental or related thereto; or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 22: Assessors/Veterans – Veterans’ Property Tax Trust
To see if the Town will vote to accept Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 59, Section 5 Clause 22G, property tax exemptions for veterans, or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 23: Department of Public Works – Authorize Purchase of Plow
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds or borrow a sum of money to purchase and equip a plow for the Department of Public Works including all other incidental or related costs, said funds to be expended under the direction of the Selectboard, or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 24: Department of Public Works – Authorize Purchase of 10-Wheeled Dump Truck
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds, or borrow a sum of money to purchase and equip a 10-wheeled dump truck for the Department of Public Works, including all other incidental or related costs, said funds to be expended under the direction of the Selectboard, or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 25: Proposed Zoning Map Change

To see if the Town will vote to amend the Town of Barre Code, Chapter 140 Zoning, Section 140-4, Location of Districts, as follows, with additions shown in bold and deletions shown in strikethrough:

§140-4 Location of Districts

A. The location and boundaries of these districts shall be as shown on the Zoning Map of Barre dated October 28, 2019 March 27, 2026, being the most recent revision of prior Town of Barre Zoning Maps, which shall be on file in the office of the Town Clerk.

A copy of which is on file with the Town Clerk, the Planning Board and the Town’s website at https://www.townofbarre.com/ , or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 26: Amend the Quabbin Regional School District Agreement
To see if the Town will approve the amendments to the Quabbin Regional School Agreement as recommended and approved by the Regional School District Committee, a copy of which is on file at the office of the Town Clerk and on the Town’s website at https://www.townofbarre.com/, or take any other action relative thereto.


** You can manage your email notifications at
** http://www.mytowngovernment.org/fan

[sup...@mytowngovernment.org]

The following meeting has been updated:

Town(s): Barre, MA;
Board: Town Meeting
Time: Tuesday May 19 @ 6:30 PM EDT
Location: Ruggles Lane School

Agenda: