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Page 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, MArCH 1, 2024 Election 2024 Final day of in-Person Early Voting ends at 12:30 p.m.; Presidential Primary Election set for Tuesday By Mark E. Vogler T he Saugus Public Library will complete a week of In-Person Early Voting today (Friday, March 1) from 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Community Room for the Presidential Primary Election. Registered voters who want to cast their ballots for the Democratic, Libertarian and Republican Parties in the traditional way can go to the polls next Tuesday (March 5) from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. In addition to listing the presidential candidates, the election ballot will also allow voters in each of the three parties to pick a state committeeman, a state committeewoman and town committee members. There were 21,781 total registered voters in Saugus as of this week, according to Town Clerk Ellen Joyce Schena. They include 4,989 Democrats, 2,071 Republicans and 59 Libertarians. The vast number of voters (14,456) are classified as unenrolled. Where To Vote Precinct – Polling Locations 1 Saugus Middle High School Complex – 1 Pearce Memorial Drive 2 Veterans Early Learning Center – 39 Hurd Avenue 3 Saugus Senior Center – 466 Central Street 4 Belmonte STEAM Academy – 25 Dow Street 5 Saugus Senior Center – Celebrating Our 52nd Year Dan - 1972 We Sell Cigars & Accessories! ALL MAJOR BRANDS Singles * Tins * Bundles * Boxes * Travel Humidors * Desk Top Humidors * Many Types of Lighters * Ash Trays * Juuls * Vapes * Glass Pipes * Rewards Program * CBD Infused Products * GIFTS UNDER $30 - GIFT CERTIFICATES SMOKER’S DELIGHT! 15 HANDMADE CIGARS! Four-Year-Old Tobacco * 100% Long Filler * Cellophane $49.95 WINTER STORE HOURS: OPEN DAILY 7 DAYS A WEEK, 9AM - 6PM R.Y.O. TOBACCO & TUBES ON SALE! WE MAKE HOUSE KEYS! Green Label Cigar Sale! Buy 2 Cigars, Get One FREE! A.B.C. CIGAR 170 REVERE ST., REVERE (781) 289-4959 Chris 2024 LAST CHANCE: A week of In-Person Early Voting at the Saugus Public Library was scheduled to end at 12:30 p.m. today (Friday, March 1). (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) 466 Central Street 6 Veterans Early Learning Center – 39 Hurd Avenue 7 Knights of Columbus – 57 Appleton Street 8 Belmonte STEAM AcadBUDGET SEASON| | FROM PAGE 1 cycle, he said. • Trash hauling and incineration rates continue to increase. In addition, the cost of disposal of recyclable materials continues to increase and has been impacted with increased tonnage and contamination charges. • Pension Contributions – the $5.6 million is a decrease from the amount appropriated in the 2024 Fiscal Year. • Regional School Assessments – vocational education, including Northeast Regional Vocational Technical School and Essex North Shore Tech, is budgeted for $3.3 million based on estimates provided by DESE on the town’s minimum required contribution. The Fiscal Year 2025 estimated assessments reflect a 13.7 percent increase. “Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School has begun construction on a MSBA approved construction project in the amount of $324,922,541,” Crabtree said in his budget message. “Based on the most recent debt information provided by Northeast Regional, our share of the existing debt service for the Fiscal Year 20-25 is $488,201. This amount has been included in the Vocational Educational Assessment budget,” Crabtree said. “In addition to the debt seremy – 25 Dow Street 9 Saugus Middle/High School 1 Pearce Memorial Drive 10 Italian American Club – 1 Beachview Avenue vice for the construction of the facility impacting the amount appropriated for vocational education is the operational budget for a new school. A new facility with new systems and services could also impact our annual assessment for the education operational budget,” he said. • Other insurance – the various property, liability and workers compensation insurance premium estimates have been budgeted based on an increase of about 12 percent over actual fiscal year 2024 premiums recommended by the provider. The premiums will not be finalized until later in the spring. • Capital improvements – there are significant capital needs that the town will need to plan and identify funding sources for. These include but are not limited to local capital facility needs, infrastructures, such as roadways, public safety equipment, such as fire apparatus and other equipment that is nearing end of life and requiring expensive repairs, as well as funding the Northeast Regional Vocational School capital assessment for the MSBA School Construction Project. Crabtree told selectmen the town was fortunate that it has not yet had “anything significant” in the way of snowfall this winter. “If we were having a legitimate winter, we’d be having $3 million for snow and ice,” Crabtree said.

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