Bourne Voters Make Budget Cuts at Special Town Meeting

CCB MEDIA PHOTO Bourne Town Moderator Robert Parady threatens to gavel someone who he said was out of order at the Bourne Special Town Meeting

CCB MEDIA PHOTO
Bourne Town Moderator Robert Parady threatens to gavel someone who he said was out of order at the Bourne Special Town Meeting

BOURNE – Voters at the Bourne Special Town Meeting decided to cut the budget by $854,000 tonight, rather than vote for an indefinite postponement or delay as some speakers had urged.

The vote was by secret ballot and the final tally was 233 yes votes to 176 no votes.

The vote to cut the budget was made necessary by a failed $2.7 million Proposition 2 1/2 override vote. The override vote failed by just 34 votes at an election on October 6.

Stephen Mealy, chairman of the Bourne Board of Selectmen, became emotional as he explained to the hundreds gathered for the Special Town Meeting why the cuts needed to be made now and not wait until the spring.

“The override failed and now we need to make reductions,” he said, listing the hours of the council on aging and the library cuts as the one that hit him the hardest. “This is probably the unhappiest time of my life.”

CCB MEDIA PHOTO Volunteers count the ballots at the Bourne Special Town Meeting.

CCB MEDIA PHOTO
Volunteers count the ballots at the Bourne Special Town Meeting.

But he urged the voters not to “kick the can down the road,” and instead to make the cuts now. If not, he said, the town would be subject to $140,000 per month in additional overages until the cuts are made.

Officials also need to cut $1 million from next year’s budget, so there is more work ahead, for town officials, according to Bourne Town Administrator Thomas Guerino.

After the vote, Guerino said this was an important vote for the town no matter which way it went. Town officials need to look at where to make the cuts precisely and also to make cuts in next year’s budget.

“We’re going to look at everything over the next couple of months,” Guerino said.

By LAURA M. RECKFORD, CapeCod.com News Editor

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