Dracut Cancels Town Meeting and May Shut Down the Town
John Zimini has a flare for the dramatic.
But the Dracut selectman was not far off the mark after Monday night’s Town Meeting when he declared that town government will completely shut down if a quorum is not reached and the town’s operating budget is not approved by July 1st.
“We can’t operate. Plain and simple,” he said, moments after the Dracut Town Meeting was postponed Monday due to the lack of a 250-member quorum. “We’ll shut the town down. It’s too bad.”
On Tuesday morning, the day after the annual Town Meeting failed to reach a quorum by about 70 people, Town Accountant Ann Vandal confirmed that the town would indeed have to close shop if a quorum cannot be reached and the budget approved.
Having just spoken on the phone to Tony Rassias at the state Department of Revenue, Vandal said 90 percent of the town would cease to operate if an approved budget is not in place.
“The only exception would be in the area of public safety, meaning the Police and the Fire Department, but everything else would be closed,” she said.
And by everything, Vandal means everything. Recreation League programs, school administration, veterans affairs, just to name a few. No employees, from the Department of Public Works to school administrators, would be allowed to work.
“Even your trash won’t get picked up,” said Town Clerk Kathleen Graham.
The lack of a quorum is a frequent occurrence at the November Town Meeting, but Monday night’s postponement is the first time in recent memory that the spring Town Meeting has been called off. Officials are calling for a charter change and an elimination of the quorum.
“You need a quorum to consider eliminating the quorum,” Zimini said. “It’s crazy.”
Town Meeting will be held this Monday at 7:30 p.m., at the Dracut High School auditorium if a quorum is reached.