and in TGN today Thursday

Support elusive for proposed 'Gansett budget Advisory Board agrees with selectmen on 'no' vote, cites serious issues if district's full budget approved Narragansett Regional High School — the location for Friday’s Special Town Meeting. Kerry O'Brien News Staff Writer TEMPLETON — Evaluating the possible ramifications to the town’s budget and the possible processes moving forward, the Advisory Board unanimously voted Wednesday to recommend a “no” vote on the Narragansett Regional School District’s budget at Special Town Meeting on Friday, but said they want the meeting to allow the issue to be debated. “If the voters are going to go one way, all the discussion in the world isn’t going to change it,” said advisory board member Mary Lang. “But I think there should be a good amount of discussion, if people take the time to come they may allow at least 30 minutes of debate.” Advisory board members said the town’s situation with the school — being one of now only eight regional districts in the state to not have an approved budget by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s deadline of July 1 — could result in unusual outcomes. “There are a bunch of options and these are very unused options,” advisory board chairman Wilfred Spring said. Under state law, the school district is being allowed to present the town with their budget again because the Annual Town Meeting was not presented with the option of voting their full recommended budget. The school district has stated planned cuts of programs and staff, if they don’t receive the additional $691,086 — a total of roughly $5.2 million— over the town’s approved appropriation of roughly $4.9 million. If voters do end up approving the school’s full budget — despite the fact an override was voted down at the polls twice — advisory board member said it could lead to the dismissal of the entire police force and the highway department. “The selectmen made their recommendation of a “no” because this is an up or down vote — if it’s a yes, it will be totally devastating to the town,” said Mr. Spring. “With the money they’re talking about and the possible devastation to the town, there needs to be discussion.” “I don’t believe the school committee is doing themselves justice, or the town justice, by pursuing this at this high of a level,” he continued. “We asked them to move toward level funding and they didn’t listen.” If municipal employees’ hours face cuts for another year in a row, advisory board members said it could lead to the town being put under receivership, or taken control by the state. “It could put the nail in the coffin for the town to bring us into receivership,” said advisory board member Garren Elwell. “I would venture to say we’re flirting with it.” If the town meeting doesn’t approve the school budget, the automatic next step is a joint town meeting with Phillipston. With the Board of Selectmen discussing a compromise with the school district: offering them the option of presenting voters with a smaller override number, advisory board members said another Special Town Meeting will result. “This is still in the discussion stage, but the Town Administrator said we can go for an override and have as many as six questions on the warrant and just go from $100,000 to $200,000, $300,000 — and see what the voters decide,” Mr. Spring said. The special town meeting will be held will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 26 at the Narragansett Regional Middle School in Baldwinville.