By Chris Kopacko, Contributing Writer
Westborough – While many basketball fans anxiously await on March to bring its “madness” this year, Westborough voters are preparing for an annual rite of their own – the Annual Town Meeting (ATM).
Once again, voters will gather for the ATM, which will be held this year on Saturday, March 16 at 1:00 p.m at the Westborough High School Auditorium, following the town's Annual Town Election which is slated for Tuesday, March 5.
Just 11 days after voting in a contested selectmen race, Westborough residents will have the opportunity to vote on a variety of articles (17 in total) at ATM. Among them is an article proposed by the Planning Board, which seeks to completely disallow the growing or dispensing of medical marijuana in town. The article also contains language that would greatly limit the ability to distribute medical marijuana in the chance that a court ruling overrides such a ban.
Also slated for ATM are votes on several capital projects, including a $215,000 project to replace the Mill Pond School gym floor, which was originally installed in 2001, and a $160,000 window replacement project at the public library. There will also be a vote on whether the Police Department will keep the 2010 Dodge Challenger, which was donated to use at no cost for the first three years, for $17,000.
Residents will also have an opportunity to vote on Article 17, which is a citizen's petition seeking to limit any increase in real estate taxes for fiscal year 2015 and FY 2016.
The full warrant can be found via link on the front page of the town's website, http://www.town.westborough.ma.us.