Voters last night agreed to allow the Town to spend up to $750,000 from the town’s existing undesignated fund to pay for any increases in the cost of renovating the Town Hall.
After a presentation by Councilor Mallory Cook and nearly an hour of questions and discussion, a motion to reduce the authorized amount to $500,000 failed in a hand vote. A vote for the full amount quickly followed, passing by a hand vote that accepted the sole warrant article as written.
The special town meeting, which drew close to 100 people, was called after councilors learned the cost of renovating the 99-year-old building, originally set at $7.35 million, has increased by some $382,000 in the past year.
The additional funds will come from the town’s undesignated fund, which now totals $8.4 million.
About two dozen people spoke at the meeting, more than half of them asking voters to reject the warrant article and scale back the project to avoid adding to town expenditures. Others spoke in favor of the additional funding, noting Town Hall is a centerpiece of town and will create a legacy for the community.
The cost overrun is due to increased material costs, a delay in getting started, and tariffs imposed this year, Town Manager Tim Pellerin said earlier this fall.
Residents voted in 2024 to renovate Town Hall rather than build something new.
The Town in May took out a $6 million bond for the renovation project, money that is now in an interest-earning account.
The Town is required to keep about $3.9 million in the undesigned fund. The remaining $4.3 million already included the $1.35 million earmarked for work on the Town Hall and now includes another $750,000 approved last night.
