INDUSTRY – Voters approved a budget that was 12.71 percent lower than last year at their annual town meeting on Saturday.
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Thanks to a kinder, more gentle winter and a frugal fire department, voters passed a total budget of $380,298, which is $55,375 less than last year’s budget total.
Selectman Earl Ireland said the fire department’s operating expenses totaled $20,000 even though $30,000 was budgeted last year. Voters were happy to carry over the leftover $10,000 and approve $20,000 to bring the total to $30,000.
Savings of $38,000 not spent this year in the winter roads account because of mild weather with little snow fall meant just $36,000 needed to be raised this year. Normally, $75,000 is budgeted for a worse-case winter scenario, Ireland said.
Some discussion was spent on the fire department’s request for $5,000 for the reserve account, which carried a total of $18,000.
“People wanted to know why more money was needed,” Ireland explained. Fire Chief Joe Paradis told voters he is “very sure” the town is going to get a fire act grant totaling $200,000, but a town match of 5 to 10 percent will be needed when the grant does come in. Voters approved adding $5,000 to the reserve account in the hope another $200,000 will be coming their way for the fire department’s needs.
Farmer and a community leader Ronald Wing, 75, of Industry, who died on March 13, was remembered at the annual town meeting with a moment of silence and his family was presented with a legislative sentiment by state representatives Lance Harvell and Tom Saviello.
“For me, personally, as a selectman for the past 17 years, there was never a town meeting where I wouldn’t look out and see Ron. He always sat in the front,” Ireland said, adding it just wasn’t the same not seeing him there. “We missed him.”
Read Mr. Wing’s obituary here.
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