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Town Meeting gets a trashy start
Banner Daily Update Tues. Apr. 8
Sue Harrison
Web Editor
PROVINCETOWN — Provincetown voter Peter Cook could have been speaking for almost everyone when he went to the microphone during the first night of Town Meeting on Monday and announced, “I’m here to talk trash tonight.”
Cook got a big laugh but the truth is, trash was on everyone’s mind. The issue of curbside trash pickup became a galvanizing force as voters struggled with budgets, issues, overrides and promises of transparency.
The Selectmen, faced with more expenses than the tax levy can pay for had urged department heads to tighten the fiscal belt but when the budgets were in, there was still a substantial overrun. In the end they were faced with pulling some services and possibly jobs out of budgets and offering the voters the choice to vote for them separately, a sort of Chinese menu approach to town spending. If you want the egg roll it will cost you extra.
In this case, the egg roll was curbside trash pickup with a tab of $153,000. Voters were not inclined to do without their trash pickup but they didn’t like it being taken out of the Dept. of Public Works budget and offered to them as not only a separate article but one that requires a ballot vote under Proposition 2 1/2.
And it is interesting that out of an almost 2.29 million dollar budget that the $153,000 line item pulled out for separate consideration was one very close to most voters’ hearts.
After lengthy debate, the DPW budget was okayed and voters will now face the question of the separate override article for trash pickup when the meeting reconvenes on Tuesday night.
Voters considered a number of other articles on Monday including money to plan and implement more sewer connections and the school budget. For more about the results of the Special Town Meeting and the Annual Town Meeting, see the April 10 Provincetown Banner.
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Sexual harassment complaint filed against selectman
Proposed noise bylaw pulled from Town Meeting
Road closed to protect toads
Fado for all
McCowen appeal denied
Hindu mired in business dispute
Rabies clinics this weekend
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Apr 3rd, 2008