Sharon approves yearly spending plan

SHARON — Residents of Sharon gathered at Town Hall on Friday, May 11, for the annual town meeting. Items concerning town budgets were presented and all moved after unanimous agreement and little discussion despite the sizable crowd.

Voters adopted the annual budget for the fiscal year 2024-25. The Board of Selectmen’s budget is up to $5,791,308, an increase of $461,580 (8.66%) over the current year.

The Town of Sharon, with approval from the Board of Finance, will use $42,000 of undesignated funds to replace a 24-year-old John Deere tractor which has been used to assist The Sharon Green Committee. The committee is responsible for supervising the maintenance tasks on the Green, including mowing, feeding, and pruning trees, as well as plowing sidewalks, conducting fall and spring clean-up, and ensuring equipment maintenance.

The town passed an authorization to expedite The Town Aid Road Fund for road and bridge maintenance; $9,600 from the Sharon Cemetery Fund, the acceptance of any state or federal educational grants as well as grants for municipal purposes; $1,000 in interest from the Virginia Brown Fund for Nature’s Classroom; $5,700 from the 67 Main Street Account for general maintenance for the office of the Sharon Land Trust; and up to $181,930 from the Equipment Replacement Account for a new F550 truck.

The Board of Finance approved the Five-Year Capital Improvement plan, which includes up to $1,500,000 for repair to River Road, $1,800,000 for repair to Rolling Hills Road and Dug Road, and well as the drainage, and $1,000,000 for repairs to West Cornwall Road Bridge.

The town approved the use of funds from the Local Capital Improvement Program in the amount of $71,914 to replace the tennis courts on Veterans’ Field, as well as the Board of Education’s Six-Year Capital Building Project plan.