Blandford Select Board approves appointments, tables warrant for Thursday signing

BLANDFORD -- May 20, 2024, Blandford Select Board approves a slate of town appointments and moves FY25 budget toward annual town meeting. The board, meeting May 20, received a balanced FY25 operating budget from the Finance Committee showing approximately $4.8 million in revenue and $4.5 million in expenses, with the tax levy recommended at $3.7 million. Representatives from Hilltown Ambulance, including Huntington board member Sean Garrett, urged passage of a per-capita rate increase to $50.20, warning that the service's $829,284 annual operating cost far outpaces member-town contributions, Blandford's FY24 share was $42,768, roughly four weeks of payroll. The board tabled a Water Department payment warrant after a roughly $9,000 tree-clearing invoice came in nearly double the quoted estimate of $4,500, and left unresolved a $2,000 dispute over bottled water and highway labor costs from a spring water main break on state Department of Transportation property. The board set a special Thursday session to sign and post the warrant for the June 3 annual town meeting.