Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
Published: 2/12/2021 10:33:08 AM
Hancock set its 2021 warrant and budget at the end of a public hearing on Feb. 8. The Select Board opted to make only one change to the warrant, adding that the Select Board recommends Article 2, which asks if voters would accept a virtual meeting format, Town Administrator Jonathan Coyne said.
The proposed operating budget is $2,695,136. That’s a 0.2 percent increase from the 2020 budget, which was $2,687,353.
Eight residents attended the hearing in person and about 15 people attended online, Coyne said. The biggest discussion of the evening regarded establishing more capital reserve funds to buffer future budgets against high-cost items like bridge and vehicle replacements, he said. One resident wanted to proceed with a regular Town Meeting, Coyne said. The Board listened, but maintained their plans to proceed with a virtual meeting, which starts with an informational session on Saturday, Feb. 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and can comment during the meeting and afterward via email. The Select Board will discuss the comments and make associated adjustments at their meeting on Monday, March 1, and present the updated version of the warrant at the second hearing, on Wednesday, March 3 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., sending the finalized warrant to print immediately after the meeting. Voters will conduct a drive-up vote on the ConVal warrant, local officials, and the warrant via ballot on March 9 at Hancock Elementary School from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.