What Do You Consider To Be a Fair Tax Rate?

Westborough has the highest 2012 residential tax rate among all of its neighboring towns.

  As the debate continues over how best to fund a new fire station in town, there are many references to the high and rising residential tax rate in Westborough. When compared to each of its six neighboring towns, Westborough has the highest tax rate at $19.21 per $1,000. The lowest belongs to Shrewsbury at $11.11. The average of the seven towns is $15.45. So, if Westborough voters were to choose a tax rate before planning how to budget the money, what tax rate do you think is fair? Share your ideas and opinions in the comments.   Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date on the latest Westborough news, or simply hit the "like" button at the top of this page. If you'd like to receive the Westborough Patch newsletter with our top…

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Letter From the Editor

The Sound of Reality Sinking In

Both the unemployed and employed pay the price for necessary budget cuts.

  At the Jan. 24 Board of Selectmen meeting, the proposal to replace three fulltime custodians with an overnight contract cleaning service was once again front and center. Dan Pavolis, from the Council on Aging, asked the selectmen to keep the fulltime custodian at the Westborough Senior Center. He detailed the extensive list of duties that will no longer be done if the town moves to an overnight cleaning service. As a lifelong employee in the private sector, I found the discussion interesting and sad at the same time. I am old enough to have worked through more than one recession and, like so many others, I have taken on the workload of newly unemployed coworkers in an attempt to hold my job. It is a frustrating and exhausting reality of …

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Town Manager: ‘These Are Super Custodians’

Town Manager Jim Malloy and Board of Selectmen question job descriptions of custodians at senior center and library.

  At the Jan. 24 Board of Selectmen meeting, Town Manager Jim Malloy defended his proposal to replace three fulltime custodial positions in the town with an overnight contract cleaning service. This followed a plea from Council on Aging Chairperson Dan Pavolis to keep the Westborough Senior Center custodian on the town payroll. “Do we talk about being leaner or do we do something about being leaner?” Malloy asked the selectmen. Pavolis made a case that the senior center needs a fulltime custodian on site when the facility is being used because of immediate needs such as moving furniture for changing events, cleaning the kitchen after meals and clearing ice during a snowstorm. “This is a safety issue,” he told the selectmen. Priscilla …

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MaryJo Kurtz

7:31 am on Thursday, March 1, 2012

Just as a note on this article: I personally called Jim Malloy the day that this article posted and asked if he wanted to clarify his comments or expand upon them. My call was never returned.   more ›

Longtime Library Caretaker to Be Cut

Proposed budget cuts remove the man who made the Westborough Public Library the love of his life.

  Sixty-year-old Mike Matley has been caring for the Westborough Public Library for the past 23 years. He was initially brought on to the staff as a custodian, but his job grew into something much more – both professionally and personally. An expert on the intricacies of the 103-year-old building, Matley serves as a caretaker, treating the building as if it were a second home. “There are 755 light bulbs in the library,” Matley shared. “I keep an inventory.” Giving a tour of the building, he pointed out the furniture that he built, displays that he organized, the indoor basement garden that he tends and the collection of stuffed birds that have been an attraction near the Children’s Library for as long as most can remember. “I always wanted…

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School Budget Proposal Up 3.25 Percent

The School Committee voted to approve a FY13 budget proposal with the biggest percentage hike since FY09.

  At the School Committee meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 14, the panel approved a budget proposal for FY13. It was months in the making, with a series of nips and tucks that spurred debate in the past few weeks. The approved plan proposes a 3.25 percent increase over the previous school budget, for a total of $41,282,909. The approved plan is a compromise of two proposals presented by Superintendent Marianne O’Connor at the Dec. 7 meeting. The first plan increased the current budget by 5.16 percent, which represented a level service increase. The second plan increased the budget by 2.99 percent and included a series of cuts that concerned school committee members (see outline of cuts in this Westborough Patch article). “A lot of us felt the …

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Holidays 2011

Did Your Holiday Budget Go Up This Year? [Poll]

When it comes to holiday spending, do you plan to cut corners or cut loose?

  Surveys show that Black Friday spending was up by nearly seven percent over last year, and our online shopping on Black Friday increased nearly 25 percent over 2010. But not everyone is wrapping their hard earned cash around holiday gift shopping. If you are looking to cut costs going into the holiday shopping season, the Better Business Bureau recently released these four tips: 1. Cut down on gift-giving. For work gatherings, have everyone draw a name and give one gift. Set limits with family members and then get creative about finding something in your new, lower price range. Consider giving only to children. For the person who has everything, consider making a charitable donation in his or her name. 2. Give homemade gifts. Consider …

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Selectmen Question VFW Request, Approve Contracts and Close Warrant

Also at the April 12 meeting, the selectmen approved an extension on the site plan proposal for the Dunkiin' Donuts drive-thru plans for East Main Street.

The Westborough Board of Selectmen held a meeting on Tuesday, April 12. Among the top talking points from the meeting: * You know the Town Meeting is nearing when the Board of Selectmen vote to close the Town Meeting Warrant. In a unanimous vote of the four present members (selectman George Thompson was absent), the board voted to close the warrant at the April 12 meeting. What does that mean? It means that residents can no longer petition to add an issue, or “warrant,” to the agenda at Town Meeting. It also means that the slate of warrant articles is firming up for voter review. Nidia Ruberti, administrative assistant for the Board of Selectmen’s office, said that residents can expect to find a finalized version of the Town Meeting …

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DPW to Address Finance Committee Tonight

The Advisory Finance Committee posts agenda to tonight's meeting.

The Westborough Advisory Committee continues its meetings this week as the panel continues to gather information during budget season. The group meets at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. This is the proposed meeting agenda, and all times listed are approximate.  7:00 p.m.: Call to order/open forum 7:05 p.m.: Approval of minutes 7:10 p.m.: AFC preparations for annual Town Meeting budget and article reviews Departmental budget discussions      7:10 pm: DPW      8:05 pm: Conservation Commission Updates on committee member liaison work/meetings to date. Warrant article discussions Review of upcoming meeting schedule 8:45 p.m.: Chairman, committee liaison, and department liaison reports 8:55 p.m.: Comments and concerns of committee members Adjournment

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Finance Committee Continues Budget Discussions Tonight

The panel convenes at 7 p.m. in Town Hall for a public meeting.

The Westborough Advisory Finance Committee (AFC) meets tonight at 7 p.m. in the Board of Selectmen’s Meeting Room. The room is located on the bottom floor of Town Hall in the back of the building. This is a public meeting.  As officials are now preparing a budget to present to voters at the May Town Meeting, tonight’s AFC agenda indicates that most of the discussion will focus on budget issues. Here is the public agenda for tonight’s meeting. All times are approximate.   7:00 p.m.: Call to Order/Open Forum 7:05 p.m.: Approval of Minutes 7:10 p.m.: AFC Preparations for Annual Town Meeting budget and article reviews 8:30 p.m.: Chairman, Committee Liaison, and Department Liaison Reports 8:45 p.m.: Comments and Concerns of Committee Members …

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