Meetings are held remotely. Go to truro-ma.gov, click on the meeting you want to watch, and open its agenda for instructions on how to watch or take part online.
Thursday, April 15
- Climate Action Committee, 10:30 a.m.
- School Committee, 3:15 p.m.
Tuesday, April 20
- Planning Board, 2:30 p.m.
- Board of Health, 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 21
- Planning Board, 5 p.m.
- Finance Committee, 5 p.m.
Thursday, April 22
- Climate Action Committee, 10:30 a.m.
Conversation Starters
Town Election Is Now June 29
The annual town election will be held on June 29, to allow for any potential override articles to be placed on the ballot following town meeting on June 26.
Originally, Truro staff scheduled the town meeting for May 1 and the election for May 11. But with 43 articles on the meeting warrant, the select board decided it would be better to wait until warmer weather to hold the meeting. This meeting will clearly take a few hours.
The select board on April 13 also decided to move the election date.
Child Care Vouchers
Also at their April 13 meeting, select board members debated whether to recommend a petitioned article that would use $150,000 in town funds to create a child-care voucher program for two- and three-year-olds. The program, similar to one in Wellfleet, would grant vouchers of up to $7,500 per child to be used at any licensed child-care facility to children of Truro residents and municipal staff.
The article was placed on the warrant by citizens’ petition. Raphael Richter, the main petitioner, said he didn’t have any guidance from other town staff or leaders on how to fund the program, so he left it open when he wrote the article.
The select board could not decide about whether this expense, if approved by voters, should be paid for by an override vote. This would raise the tax rate and would have to be voted on both at town meeting and on the ballot. The other option is for the program to be funded out of free cash reserves.
“I’m wrestling with a worry and a question,” said Robert Weinstein, chair of the select board. “My worry is, if this fails as a ballot question, it leaves the families unfulfilled.”
Taking money out of free cash creates complications with the budget, said Trudi Brazil, the town accountant.
In the end, the select board did not vote on how to fund the proposed voucher article. And it didn’t vote on whether it would recommend it at town meeting. The board plans to take up both questions at a later meeting.
One issue did become clear from the discussion on April 13. Richter did not want the funding to be from the school budget. The school already offers free preschool to three- and four-year-olds of town residents and staff. But due to classroom and staff constraints, there is limited space for the three-year-olds, said Truro School Supt. Michael Gradone. —K.C. Myers
