On a Monday, June 29, 2020:

PHILLIPSTON — The process took a little longer than usual this year, but the town now has a budget, after Town Meeting was delayed from its original May 6 date.

Town voters — 57 of the town’s 1,252 registered voters — attended Town Meeting on Monday, June 29, in the Phillipston Elementary School Gymnasium.

“There was some minor adjustment to wording on articles,” Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Flynn said.

And financial officials kept their pencils sharp, even recessing to tweak numbers as modifications were made. “The meeting went well. Our Finance Committee did a wonderful job,” Town Clerk Karin Foley said.

Many were small changes, Flynn said. But the biggest was a change to the Narragansett Regional School District budget, which was originally slated to be a $1.6 million item. That resulted in a long discussion on the school budget, Flynn said.

The final figure was $1 million even, he said, reflecting a reduced assessment from the district.

The one million dollar figure is less than the Town's minimum required contribution and will most likely lead to a district wide meeting. If that happens, Templeton voters need to show up and have a real say in their school assessment, as Templeton Town Meeting already approve their school assessment.