Select Board Discusses Potential Special Town Meeting to Address FY2025 Budget, Approves Use of High-Speed Ballot Tabulator in Future Elections

ANDOVER, MA – The Andover Select Board met on Monday, May 20 at the Andover Public School Administrative Offices. During the meeting, the Board continued to discuss potential strategies to address the imbalance in the Town’s FY2025 operating budget produced by Town Meeting’s vote to increase funding for Andover Public Schools by $1.875 million. Next steps laid out during the meeting include a community forum on Thursday, May 23 focused on the School Department budget, a Tri-Board meeting the following week, and a potential Special Town Meeting in June.

The Select Board also considered and voted to approve the use of a high-speed ballot tabulator for elections held in the Town of Andover, which is intended to support the efficient processing of ballots cast by mail and through in-person early voting. The Board also discussed and agreed to criteria for the evaluation of applicants to serve on the Zoning Board of Appeals, approved ‘No Parking’ restrictions to allow safer access to driveways at private residences on Cuba Street, and received an overview of Open Meeting Law requirements that apply to Town public bodies. 

FY2025 Operating Budget
The Select Board discussed the outcomes of a Tri-Board Meeting of the Select Board, School Committee, and Finance Committee held on Wednesday, May 8. That meeting was an initial step towards developing a solution to the imbalanced FY2025 operating budget produced by a Town Meeting vote that increased funding for Andover Public Schools (APS) by $1,875,00. As a result of a budget amendment, the total appropriation approved by Town Meeting exceeds available revenue, which means that the Town’s FY2025 budget is not currently balanced. The budget must be balanced by the time that the tax rate is set.

As discussed on Wednesday, all potential solutions to this challenge would require approval at Town Meeting. Town Manager Andrew Flanagan stated that the target date for a Special Town Meeting is Tuesday, June 18.

Prior to a Special Town Meeting being called, a public forum will be held to provide an opportunity for  members of the community to provide input on the Andover Public Schools budget, consistent with a recommendation made during the May 8 Tri-Board Meeting. This community forum is scheduled for Thursday, May 23 at 7:00 PM at the Collins Center for the Performing Arts at Andover High School. Following this forum, the School Committee is expected to take a position on how the School Department should use the supplemental $1.875 million appropriation, should it remain available following the Special Town Meeting process. Several options will be presented to the Committee, which will include using funds for student-facing positions that align with the current needs of the district, and using a portion of the additional revenue for debt service on the Doherty Middle School project. 

After the community forum, an additional Tri-Board Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 28. The Select Board is expected to consider voting to call a Special Town Meeting for June 18. 

Town Manager Andrew Flanagan noted during this discussion that state aid that the Town of Andover expects to receive has increased by more than $400,000 since the Governor’s FY2025 budget was released earlier this year, largely due to increases to Chapter 70 funding proposed in the state legislature. Consistent with the Town’s long-range financial plan, 70 percent of this funding will be appropriated to Andover Public Schools, and 30 percent will be appropriated to Town departments. This additional funding factors into the broader discussion about the Andover Public Schools budget as it slightly reduces the extent of the imbalance. 

High Speed Ballot Tabulators
Deputy Town Manager and Town Clerk Austin Simko provided an overview of the proposed use of a high-speed ballot tabulator in elections held in the Town of Andover.

Article 5 on the Annual Town Meeting warrant appropriated funds for various capital projects, including $25,000 for the purchase of a high-speed ballot tabulator. 

The need for this machine has been prompted by Covid-era state laws expanding in-person early voting and mail-in voting in elections. In some elections, particularly in national elections, up to 75 percent of ballots are cast “early” or by mail.

Currently, ballots cast through these methods are sorted by precinct, delivered to polling locations on Election Day, and tabulated through corresponding ballot tabulators. This operation requires three additional election workers at each precinct. Ballot machines at polling locations are relatively slow and were not designed to count folded ballots – mail-in ballots are folded.

The ImageCast ballot counter that the Town Clerk’s Office intends to purchase would be capable of processing up to 100 ballots per minute. This would allow for the tabulation of early and mail-in ballots to be conducted at one centralized location in one day, significantly reducing the number of poll workers needed to support the operation. This would have the additional benefit of allowing for a more streamlined voter experience at polling locations. 

While the system would be used in all elections, including Town elections, it would be most valuable during high-turnout elections which tend to produce a high volume of early and mail-in ballots. In the 2020 Presidential Election, for example, approximately 15,000 ballots were cast through these methods in Andover. 

Following Simko’s presentation, the Board voted to approve the use of a high-speed ballot tabulator in future elections. 

Other Notes

• The Select Board discussed and agreed to criteria that should be considered for candidates applying to serve on the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). The Board previously voted to designate Melissa Danisch and Ellen Townson to serve on a two-member subcommittee to interview applicants. The ZBA has nine members who are appointed by the Select Board to three-year terms. Residents who are interested in serving on the ZBA can apply by completing a talent bank form.  
• The Select Board voted to approve ‘No Parking’ restrictions at 29 Cuba Street and 49 Red Spring Road. According to Traffic Safety Officer Glen Ota, vehicles parked in the roadway at these addresses block access to driveways and impair sightlines in a manner that creates safety hazards to residents existing their driveways. 
• The Select Board received a comprehensive presentation about Open Meeting Law by Town Counsel Doug Heim. The Open Meeting Law in Massachusetts is intended to ensure transparency in the deliberations on which public policy is based.

The full meeting can be viewed online through AndoverTV. The Board is scheduled to meet next in a joint session with the Finance Committee and School Committee on May 28, 2024.