Barrington's final financial town meeting is May 28
Next year, Barrington will switch to financial town referendum
The Barrington Financial Town Meeting is right around the corner. And it promises to be an historic event.
Historic not because of an epic tax increase (or epic tax decrease), but because …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
Please log in to continue |
Register to post eventsIf you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here. Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content. |
Day pass subscribers
Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.
Barrington's final financial town meeting is May 28
Next year, Barrington will switch to financial town referendum
The Barrington Financial Town Meeting is right around the corner. And it promises to be an historic event.
Historic not because of an epic tax increase (or epic tax decrease), but because this year’s FTM will be the last of its kind in this town. Last November, residents approved the shift from a financial town meeting in Barrington to a financial town referendum. Next year, residents will go to the town hall to vote yea or nay on the proposed budget.
Barrington’s final financial town meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 28 at 7 p.m., inside Barrington High School.
Dan O’Mahony, a member of the town’s board of canvassers, shared a presentation at the May 5 Barrington Town Council meeting. O’Mahony spoke about the shift from FTM to FTR. He said all voting at the FTR would take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at a single location — the Barrington Town Hall Council Chambers. He said there will not be any absentee ballots or early voting.
O’Mahony also said any proposed changes to the FTR ballot will need a citizen petition including at least 2,685 signatures.
Barrington Town Council President Braxton Cloutier asked what it would take to offer mail-in ballots for the FTR, but O’Mahony explained that there was simply not enough time during the budget process to allow for mail-in ballots. Assistant town solicitor Amy Goins added that she did not think there were any other communities that offer mail-in ballots for an FTR.
Cloutier said “So this is going to be an exercise in Barrington showing up.”
Barrington resident Lisa Daft cautioned council members that some towns that have shifted to an FTR did not see big turnouts for voting. Resident Tom Rimoshytus asked if a quorum would be needed for the FTR to be official — with FTMs, there must be at least 100 residents present for the meeting to be official.
Cloutier said an FTR is not a meeting, so there is no need for a quorum. Goins confirmed that point a short time later. She said approval of the budget will be determined by a majority vote for whoever shows up to cast a ballot.
