THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020 Page 9 ASKS | FROM PAGE 8 I joined that community service club in sixth grade. She was the fi rst person who told me, “Hey, look at all these cool, fun and interesting opportunities that are around.” My last one is Carolyn Casey. She is the founder of Project 351. She’s such an inspiration because A) She created the organization and B) she is just so humble with the way she goes about things, which I really look up to. Q: All things considered, do you expect to have a better and more productive project this year, in spite of COVID-19? MEETING | FROM PAGE 1 COVID-19 shutdown orders issued by Gov. Charlie Baker after the outbreak of the virus in March. Crabtree told selectmen that the tax rate “has to be fi nalized early December at the latest.” “We run into problems sending out the next quarter bills Crabtree said the warrant articles for the December Special Town Meeting would not involve any zoning articles — only measures that would be essential to the town address the budget and fi scal issues. One of the articles involves consideration of whether to rescind a vote taken at the Annual Town Meeting to transfer up to $2.4 million from the town’s stabilization fund as a funding source for the 2021 fi scal year that began last July 1, while voting to appropriate up to $1.5-million in free cash as a funding source. During a two-month overdue Annual Town Meeting last July, members voted 41-2 with one abstention to pass a $93,448,989 budget that would allow the town to draw from a maximum of $2,436,951 from the town’s stabilization fund. The town’s stabilization fund — which reportedly had a balance of $9 million plus at the time of the vote — has given the town a fi scal cushion at a time when the shutdown of local restaurants and businesses to curb the spread of COVID-19 has drastically reduced town revenues. S&P Global Ratings, a municipal credit rating agency, recently affi rmed the Town’s underlying AA+ long-term bond rating, a decision that was infl uenced heavily by the town’s A: I just really hope so. Realistically, I don’t think we’ll be more successful, but I am really hoping that it is, and I am working hard to make sure that it is. Q: Anything else that you would like to share about yourself or your project? A: I want to thank the people of Saugus in advance for listening and being a part of these projects. And to people who are thinking about getting involved as a volunteer – be kind, be happy, create change. Contact info for donations Anyone who wants to dobudget and management practices — particularly the growth of the town’s stabilization fund, according to Crabtree. He told selectmen the town should be using free cash instead of its stabilization fund money in order to help maintain the town’s bond rating. This practice, he added, would save “millions of dollars.” Other articles Crabtree put on the Special Town Meeting warrant include measures to: • Increase the water rates with all receipts to be held within the Water Enterprise Fund to be used exclusively for water expenses, water maintenance, water debt and interest and water improvement programs. • Buy police cruisers for the Police Department. • Remodel or repair townowned buildings and purchasing equipment. • Construct or reconstruct various streets and sidewalks. • Accept 63 streets which the town is currently not required to maintain. “One of the issues, we have 35 percent of our roadways unaccepted where other communities have fi ve percent,” Crabtree said. Chapter 90 funds cannot be used to pay for work on unaccepted streets is a major reason for the recent collaboration of the town manager, the DPW and town counsel to target more streets for acceptance. In addition to the Special Town Meeting in December, other town government bodies — including selectmen and the Finance Committee have important meetings. The Finance Committee will need meet to make recommendations on the articles proposed by Crabtree. For Advertising with Results, call The Advocate Newspapers at 781-233-4446 or Info@advocatenews.net nate to the food and clothing drives can arrange for a porchside pickup at their home by contacting Alyssa Swible Martinez by email: enjoylife1114@ gmail.com. They can also call or text 617-529-1301. She has a gofundme page: https:// www.gofundme.com/f/sauguscradlestocrayons. Facebook: search “Alyssa Swible Martinez.”
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