Ballot mistake leads officials to propose new legislation
By Caitlyn Kelleher

Ashburnham selectmen voted to lobby the state Legislature to change the law governing capital exclusions tax increases to allow the regional school district to have this financial option.

The board members voted to take this step after the state Department of Revenue (DOR) granted the town and Westminster a one time only exception to allow $150,000 tax increase for the regional school district's capital plan to pass.

"It's the only time we will ever get it," Town Administrator Kevin Paicos said.

Issues arose between the two towns and the DOR over the wording of the ballot question from the special election in June. The question that voters passed asked them to allow town officials to raise taxes over the limits of Proposition 2 1/2 to cover the town's share of the $150,000 capital plan laid out by the school district.

"I like it because it brings some accountability to the school committee," Selectman Jonathan Dennehy said. "It's an independent initiative, so the whole school budget doesn't go down in flames (if the capital plan doesn't pass)."

Neither school district nor officials in either town realized that regional school districts were left out of the list of municipal groups allowed to ask for a capital exclusion under Proposition 2 1/2.

Paicos said he remembered when the law was created and that it was an oversight to omit regional school districts.

Now to fix that oversight, town officials are working with DOR officials to change the legislation to include regional school districts.

"Hopefully, we will have it passed through quickly," Paicos said.

As soon as town counsel and the DOR approve the draft language, the bill will simultaneously passed in by Ashburnham and Westminster Selectmen as well as the Ashburnham Westminster Regional School Committee.

"This is the most expeditious way of doing this," Paicos said.

He said

The goal is to have the Legislators pass this amendment to the currently in time for the school committee to propose the question to voters for a second year.

Selectman Chris Gagnon said it should also be sent to all regional school districts and to the Massachusetts Association of School Committees to see if they will lend their support to the amendment.

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Caitlyn Kelleher can be reached at (978) 827-3386, ext. 15, or e-mail: caitlynkelleher@ aol.com