Changing the treasure-collector
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

The voters will take up the issue of whether or not to convert the position of treasurer collector to an appointed position instead of an elected position at the Special Town Meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 26.

Melody Gallant, who has served the town for the last 15 years, holds the position and she supports the move to an appointed position.

"I don't mind being accountable to every person that comes to my window, but for the town it is absolutely the best thing," she said.

The change requires not only approval at the town meeting but also approval at an annual town election before it can occur.

This is the third time they have tried to change it, Gallant said. The votes have to take place during an annual town election but not an annual town meeting.

"If it fails my status would remain elected," Gallant said. She is running for re-election this spring.

Gallant is a certified municipal treasurer and a certified municipal collector, which is a designation from a state organization and is not required to hold the position. She said she has gone through the schooling and continues with the classes to keep the designation.

Gallant said there is a large amount of detailed work to do in the job but that it is ever growing technicality and that experience and education are very important.

"It is a position that has so much fiscal responsibly," she said. "You want to make sure you have someone who has knowledge."

The only requirements that can be placed on those running for an elected positions is that a person must be a registered voter in town, which means he or she must be at least 18 years old and live in Westminster.

Gallant salary is determined by a vote of town meeting and she receives no sick or vacation days as part of the salary, but she also doesn't have to work specific hours.

"Theoretically, you don't have to show up," she said.

She said personally she has treated herself like the other employees, but with young children she does sometimes uses the flexibility to set her own hours.

Voters will face a total of 14 articles during the special town meeting. One of articles is to add more money to the reserve fund.

Jim Delsile, the chairman of the Advisory Board, said the board is requesting money to replenish the reserve fund, which usually holds about $30,000 and is used for unforeseen or unexpected costs during the course of the year.

The year the Advisory Board approved using about $28,500 of that amount to replace the broken furnace at the library. Delsile said transferring the money from free cash to the reserve fund means if there are other problems the Advisory Board can provide the funding to help the town departments.

The third article on the town meeting warrant is permission to let the town lease the land around the Upton Building to the Historical Society. Murphy said it is considered a "ground lease" so the land will remain part of town property.

Th Upton Building, has recently been sold to the Historical Society after the school district and the town received permission from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The Society is planning on converting the Upton Building, which was used as one of the town's schools, into an educational and research center.

Voters will also face four articles that would transfer free cash into the town stabilization accounts. These articles have become standard articles during the fall town meeting but were delayed this year because the town had not received their certified free cash numbers.