$172M Budget, Financial Items Approved at Annual Town Meeting

Monday’s session was all about the money, and budget talks delved into enrollment and foreign language programs within the Lexington Public Schools.

The budget was the night’s biggest—and longest—item, but once Lexington’s annual Town Meeting approved a roughly $172 million budget for fiscal 2014, members made quick work of the other seven articles on Monday evening’s agenda.  Other items approved included school capital projects (Article 13), fiscal 2013 enterprise fund budgets (Article 5), a $20,000 appropriation to supplement the Senior Services Program (Article 6), reauthorization of revolving funds (Article 7), $900,000 for water system improvements (Article 11) and $1.3 million for Wastewater System improvements (Article 12).  Each of these passed with little discussion and less opposition. Article 4 dealt with the FY14 operating budget, and a good deal of conversation around the…

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Jack Lo Cicero

10:41 pm on Thursday, April 4, 2013

$172 million is a lot of money... Any chance there might be enough to help pave those horrible back roads? Today I almost got my self killed trying to avoid an oncoming vehicle that turned wider than they should have! And in my attempt to avoid an accident, I hit a pot hole that I think may have bent the frame of my new 2012 vehicle. I chose to hit the pot hole, rather than a really large tree …   more ›

Ch-ch-Changes: All 'Ayes' on Climate Change, Solar, Electronic Voting

In its second session Lexington’s annual Town Meeting on Wednesday voted to adopt a climate change resolution, allow for municipal solar installations, update a bylaw and introduce electronic voting as an option.

For a town well known for its rich history, Lexington’s annual Town Meeting was fairly forward thinking Wednesday night, approving a handful of articles that could impact the town and its government for years to come. In four separate votes, Town Meeting approved warrant articles 33, 29, 34 and 32, which deal with climate change, solar energy, zoning and electronic voting, respectively. ARTICLE 33: Climate Change Resolution Sustainable Lexington’s Mark Sandeen asked, How many 100-year storms will Lexington have over 18 months? The question was rhetorical, of course, and Sandeen went on to click through slides showing damage from Hurricane Irene, Snowtober, Superstorm Sandy and the Winter Storm Sometimes Known as Nemo. And then, for good …

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Could Electronic Voting Be Coming to Lexington?

A proposal for a change in Town voting bylaws would allow for electronic voting could be decided at this November's Special Town Meeting.

  Joe Pato, chairman of the Recorded Voting Committee, went before the Board of Selectmen on Monday, Oct. 1, to discuss his board’s proposal to bring electronic voting to Lexington's Town Meeting. The primary goal of the warrant article would be to change current bylaws to enable electronic voting to be adopted by Lexington over a period of time. The secondary objective of the warrant article has “no substantive changes,” according to Pato, who explained that the warrant article gives power to “clarify language and preserve the existing system” of voting in town. Passage this warrant article would not create any electronic voting system, but rather just adopt the means to move towards electronic voting for future Town Meetings, Pato said. …

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: Aug. 20

Electronic voting talks, kids making movies at Lexmedia and more today in Lexington.

1. Electronic Voting for Lexington Town Meeting: The Town Meeting Members Assocation's Recorded Voting Committee is inviting residents to continue public discussion of electronic voting at Town Meeting. Tonight's TMMA discussion is at 7:30 p.m. at Cary Memorial Library. 2. Summer Kids Movie Project: Lexmedia's holding a special summer kids movie-making class in which kids will work on dialogue, act, run cameras, sound, adjust lighting and assist in other technical and creative ways. The class series begins today, Aug 20 and runs through Aug. 23, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's available to Lexington kids age 10- to 13-years old, but has limited capacity and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. The cost of the class is $185. To …

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