$14M budget on warrant Saturday; Failed override prompted cuts.

• Position: LOCAL NEWS

Byline: Sandy Meindersma

RUTLAND - Voters will be asked to approve a nearly $14 million budget, add two new sections to the town bylaws and accept a quorum-saving state law for their town boards as part of 19-article warrant for Saturday night's annual town meeting.

The Board of Selectmen voted Tuesday night to present a $13.9 million budget that will require at least $200,000 of free cash to balance.

After Monday's $500,000 override vote failed by a 3-to-1 ratio, the Finance Committee made cuts to new requests and reductions to last year's budget levels of $155,000 in order to bring the budget closer to the levy limit.

Newly elected Selectman and former Finance Committee Chairman Joseph R. Becker said he personally was in favor of the Finance Committee's budget, rather than the Board of Selectmen's budget.

"It is the Finance Committee's responsibility to look at every line item," Mr. Becker said. "The Finance Committee made every attempt to bring the budget within the levy limit, and we are much closer than we were last year."

The budget includes $6.366 million for the Wachusett Regional School District; $2.77 million for municipal debt service; $1.48 million for public safety; $1.06 million for the DPW and nearly $600,000 for general government.

Voters will be asked to accept Mass. General Law Chapter 39, Section 23D, also known as the "quorum-saving bylaw" and to add a common driveways...