Barre Finance Committee Reviews Special Town Meeting Warrant, Tables Cruiser Vote

BARRE -- October 11, 2017, Barre Finance Committee reviews special Town Meeting warrant but defers decision on police cruiser funding. The committee, chaired by Zachary Macutkiewicz, worked through six warrant articles at its October 11 meeting, including an $83,200 bond payment article and a $27,000 tax title appropriation, but spent most of its time debating whether to fund one or two police cruisers under Article 6, with two department vehicles already offline due to transmission failures. A police representative identified as Jim told the committee that a pickup truck cruiser would cost roughly $40,000 outfitted, while a second sedan replacement would bring the combined total to approximately $80,000. Members debated drawing from the town's stabilization fund versus raising and appropriating against a $130,000 tax levy buffer, with Macutkiewicz framing the single-cruiser approach as part of a broader strategy to reduce municipal debt and rebuild reserves.