By Theresa Knapp 

At a Bancroft Memorial Library Trustees meeting on June 6, Library Director Tricia Perry said the town’s vote to pass a $1.35 million operational override should be celebrated. 

“I think the most important thing to be celebrating is that the library’s override and the town’s override passed with a significant majority,” said Perry, commending the trustees and staff for their support. “I think it was important for the community to know that when you spoke about what the potential consequences would be that it was with a unified voice and with facts that were indisputable.” 

Library Trustees Chairperson Frederick G. Oldfield, III, thanked Perry for her hard work on sharing information with town officials and residents. 

“Thank you Tricia as our director, you got us through the storm” said Oldfield, at the meeting. “She worked closely with the school superintendent, the Council on Aging; and they worked as a team; and it was all about all of us, not just one, and I think that’s really important to recognize.”

Oldfield said, “That was huge. That was a lot of stress and concern for all of us.” 

The library was scheduled to lose its certification and close its doors on July 1, if the override did not pass. 

$1.35 million operational override passes

Services saved at Council on Aging, library, schools, parks

By Theresa Knapp 

Hopedale residents voted favor of an operational override that will save services at the town’s Council on Aging and senior center, public library, parks, and within its school system. 

The $1.35 million contingent operational budget for FY24 was passed by voters at the May 16 town meeting with only three audible “No”s or “Nay”s. The measure required the assessment of an operational override which then passed at the May 23 special town election with a vote of 1,075 to 403. 

According to state records, Hopedale has approximately 4,000 registered voters. 

At a Select Board meeting on May 22, between those two votes, Selectperson Bernie Stock thanked then-Interim Town Administrator Jeff Nutting for his work on putting together a presentation that clearly spelled out the town’s finances and the need for an operational override. 

“Jeff, you did an outstanding job. You were coming in new, you identified the areas that were problems right away, you put together a game plan…and I think the fact that it [passing at town meeting] went so smoothly is really a reflection on the way that you put the program together and disseminated the information. No one can say that there wasn’t any transparency because I think there was more transparency that took place at that town meeting than any that I’ve ever seen and I’ve been around for over 50 years seeing these things.” 

Chairperson echoed his sentiments, saying “Thanks from all of us, really; [we] appreciate you being here.”