Town Meeting 2025 – Members complete two of three Special Town Meetings while approving appropriations totaling $16.6 million

By Mark E. Vogler

Saugus Town Meeting members spent more than two hours Monday night completing two Special Town Meetings while approving 15 articles with appropriations totaling $16.6 million recommended by the Finance Committee. Forty-five of 50 members attended the session. Absent were Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Martin Costello, Precinct 9 Town Meeting Member Daniel Kelly, Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Darren Ring, Precinct 2 Town Meeting Member Peter Rossetti, Jr. and Precinct 3 Town Meeting Member Mark Sacco. Members voted in near-unanimous fashion, with Precinct 2 Town Meeting Member Matthew Parlante the only one to cast a vote opposing an appropriation.

In the second Special Town Meeting, where members unanimously approved the Solid Waste, Trash and Recycling Modernization Bylaw, Parlante voted against the article to appropriate $1.5 million to support the bylaw should Saugus adopt an automated trash system. He complained that the article didn’t contain supporting documentation showing cost analysis.

“We’re told we’re going to save money,” Parlante said. “Where’s the data?”

During the first Special Town Meeting, members followed the recommendation of the Finance Committee in approving 13 of the 14 articles – the biggest appropriation being $4 million for designing, constructing, repairing and replacing parks and playgrounds in town. “Golden Hills, Stackpole and Stocker – those are the playgrounds we’re looking to upgrade,” Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree told Town Meeting members.

“We’re looking to get these projects done this year – the design and construction,” he said.

“I’m glad to be up here arguing for more money for the playgrounds,” he said. The town manager also noted that the town has lights and cameras to help police patrols and to protect the taxpayers’ investment in the playgrounds.

Town Meeting members also approved:

• $2,650,000 for public safety radio infrastructure upgrades
• $1,871,000 at 0 percent interest to be borrowed by selectmen from the MWRA Local Water System Assistance Program for the purpose of designing and constructing improvements to water pipelines
• $1,290,000 for the purpose of purchasing various equipment for town departments; this includes a new van for the Youth and Recreation Department.
• $1,000,000 to be transferred to the Stabilization Fund; the town manager says the town currently has $12.4 million in its Stabilization Fund.
• $1,000,000 to be transferred to the Other Post-Employment Benefits Trust (OPEB Trust); the town currently has $6.6 million in the OPEB Trust.
• $1,000,000 to be transferred to the Stabilization Fund for the Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School Construction Project; the town currently has $2 million in the Voke School construction Stabilization Fund.
• $825,000 for the feasibility study for a third fire station/West Side Public Safety and EMS Response Facility (Please see related story.)
• $450,000 for the purpose of funding the planning and design of capital improvements to the town’s water booster stations on Pine Tree Drive and Ocean View Avenue
• $300,000 for the purpose of repairing or replacing town water hydrants and valves
• $300,000 for the purpose of funding the preparation of a new update to the town’s existing Water Distribution Report
• $220,000 for the purpose of funding capital improvements to the town’s sewer system
• $150,000 for the purpose of planning and design of capital improvements to town-owned dams

Town Meeting Members approved the Finance Committee’s recommendation to indefinitely postpone an article requesting funds for the planning, design and construction of capital improvements to town-owned bridges.