Falmouth Selectman Says It May be Too Early to Vote for New Senior Center

Mary Pat FlynnFALMOUTH – Town Meeting voters in April will have some funding decisions on their hands. But one selectman said she believes their decision might not be well informed.

Plans are progressing on a new senior center, with a proposed building site on Falmouth High School Property.

Selectmen voted to include three articles on the April 5th Town Meeting warrant, which will ask voters to approve funding to design the center, to design an athletic field for the school and transfer the needed property from the school committee to selectmen.

But selectman Mary Pat Flynn said the lack of funding plans for the center should preclude any cementing decisions.

“We have an estimated cost now of around $400,000 [annually] to operate [the center], and no way to pay for it,” Flynn said. “I think it’s really difficult to put articles like this on the warrant and expect Town Meeting to vote for it without having the information they should have.”

Flynn said unless the town performed a proposition 2½ override or cut spending in other areas, they cannot afford to pay the $400,000 yearly operations price that Town Manager Julian Suso estimated.

Further, she said she hasn’t been able to pinpoint any public opinion which says a senior center is desired.

Meanwhile, other selectmen spoke of the years of planning which has gone into the project already.

Selectman chairman Douglas Jones said that residents have already motioned for a new senior center through a needs analysis the town conducted in 2013.

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