Sudbury LWV Supports 15 Warrant Articles at Town Meeting

[Submitted by co-presidents Linda Smith and Bonnie Glass on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Sudbury]

The League of Women Voters of Sudbury supports 15 articles on the May 4 Annual Town Meeting warrant, based on local, state and national LWV positions.

The League opposes two warrant articles proposed by citizen petitions, Article 38 to appropriate $12.5 million for sidewalk construction and Article 39 to appropriate up to $500,000 to repair four homes owned by the Sudbury Housing Authority and keep them as single-family homes. While the Sudbury League strongly supports both sidewalk construction and affordable housing, the League believes such actions should be taken within established planning and budgeting processes.

League members voted April 21 to support these specific articles at town meeting:

• Article 13 vocational education stabilization fund
• Article 16 Sudbury 250^th resolution
• Article 17 resolution for full inclusion and accessibility for residents with disabilities
• Article 18 transportation programs
• Article 19 consultant services for Liberty Ledge/Sewataro
• Article 24 Lincoln-Sudbury high school regional agreement
• Article 25 digital publication of legal notices
• Article 26 rail trail parking
• Article 30 high school wastewater treatment facility control panel
• Article 31 classroom instructional equipment
• Article 33 solar canopy at Curtis Middle School
• Article 34 solar canopy at Haskell Field
• Article 35 solar canopy at police station
• Article 36 Community Preservation Act consolidated budget
• Article 37 CPA unspent funds

This year, the town consolidated public works projects and equipment purchases in Article 27, and town and school facilities capital projects together in a second article, Article 28.  Community Preservation Act projects are consolidated in Article 36.

The League has a water resources position that we would use to support item 1 dealing with roads, culvert and drainage issues in Article 27. But because the League does not have positions relevant to the other line items in Article 27, we cannot take a stand on that article.

Similarly, the League has an education position that we would use to support the four school-related line items in Article 28, but because we do not have positions relevant to the other line items in Article 28, we cannot take a stand on that article.

The League is supporting Article 36, the consolidated Community Preservation Act budget items because we have positions relevant to all of the line items in that article.

The League does not have positions that apply to other warrant articles so cannot take a stand on those articles.  

The League urges Sudbury registered voters to attend Annual Town Meeting starting Monday, May 4, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School.