There will be two broadband warrant articles before voters at Charlemont’s Special Town Meeting on Saturday, November 14th at 6 PM at Hawlemont Regional Elementary School. The first will be to form an Enterprise Fund for the municipal fiber network operations and the second is a placeholder operating budget for the service for fiscal year 2021. Neither warrant article will have an impact on the town tax rate.
The town is recommending the Enterprise Fund accounting mechanism because it uses standard accounting rules and provides greater transparency and oversight of the broadband operating budget. The placeholder budget warrant article is required by the enterprise fund and covers the first partial year of operations for residents who begin receiving service prior to June 2021. The network operating budget will be reviewed annually at town meeting.
Copies of both warrant articles are available here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tnpjdT_cX0EP9NZlTeAUjoyUYoBt41uY/view?usp=sharing