Hardwick Select Board Puts Two Vacancies on April Ballot, Approves Assessor Contract

HARDWICK -- January 23, 2023, Hardwick Select Board places two vacancies on the April ballot amid school budget warnings. The board voted unanimously Monday to put a Planning Board seat and a K-12 Quabbin Regional School District Committee seat on the April 10 annual ballot after resignations by Eric Volheim and Ned Kelly, both effective April 10, with nomination papers due by February 17. Quabbin Regional Superintendent Dr. Muir warned that a state-mandated 14 percent tuition hike for out-of-district special education placements will add $228,280 to the district's fiscal year 2024 budget before any other increases, calling it a "huge blow to all school districts." The board also unanimously approved a Mayflower Evaluation software contract for the assessors office at $550 per day for most services plus a $2,000 flat fee for one appraisal item, and approved meeting minutes covering seven sessions from October and November 2022. Action on three committee appointments was deferred after discussion revealed unresolved questions about whether the Select Board or the Planning Board holds appointing authority over the master plan implementation committee.