TOWN COUNSEL REQUEST FOR WRITTEN ARGUMENTS

 IN FAVOR OF AND IN OPPOSITION TO 

PROPOSITION 2 ½ OVERRIDE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020 OPERATING BUDGET 

On March 29, 2019 the Board of Selectmen voted to accept Section 18B of Chapter 53 of the Massachusetts General Laws, which authorizes the Board of Selectmen to print information relating to local ballot questions (the “Printed information”). On April 10, 2019, the Board of Selectmen voted to include the following question on the ballot for the May 20, 2019 Annual Town Election:

 “Shall the Town of Templeton be allowed to assess an additional $988,336 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of opening and operating the new Templeton Center Elementary School and paying for additional operating costs of the Narragansett Regional School District, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2019? 

Yes____ No____” 

In addition to the full text wording of the question, Section 18B provides that the Printed Information must include: 1) a fair and concise summary of the question, which shall be prepared by the Town Counsel, including a one sentence statement describing the effect of a yes or no vote; and 2) arguments, of not more than 150 words, both for and against the question.

Town Counsel is required to “seek written arguments from the principal proponents and opponents of the question” and to “contact each ballot question committee, if any.” Town Counsel is authorized to determine, based on the arguments received, the person or group best able to present arguments for and against the question. If no argument is submitted for a particular position, Town Counsel is required by law to prepare the argument.

Therefore, this request is being issued by Town Counsel, Miyares and Harrington LLP, through the office of the Town Clerk, for written arguments “for” and “against” the Proposition 2 ½ override question. Arguments must be submitted to the Town Clerk for delivery to the Town Counsel, no later than April 25, 2019. The arguments determined to appear on the ballot will be included in the Printed Information that will be mailed to each voter household at least seven days before the Annual Town Election. All arguments filed or prepared will also be available in the office of the Town Clerk and at the polling places on the day of the election.

If you are interested in participating in this process, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 978- 894-2758 (phone), 978-894-2790 (fax), or by email to charris@templetonma.gov.