CUMMINGTON — Voters had no problems approving the town’s $2,579,950 budget for next year at Town Meeting May 5, Town Clerk Brenda Emerson-Camp reported.

The meeting at the Community House lasted 70 minutes and drew 48 residents, the town clerk said. Voters OK’d a spending plan that included $4-an-hour wage increases for the highway superintendent and department employees and extra money for a part-time police officer.

The bottom line was almost $17,000 lower than the FY23 budget, aided by school spending that dropped by $53,676 due to lower enrollment.

Voters also agreed to allocate $35,000 from free cash to the Recreation Committee to develop a pickleball court. The plan is to convert the old basketball court for pickleball use and resurface the old tennis court for use as a basketball court.

Emerson-Camp said pickleball seems to be popular.

“I hear people talking about it,” she said, acknowledging that she’s just happy there will still be a basketball court.

In Monday’s election, with no contested positions on the ballot, 31 voters came out to the polls, Emerson-Camp said. When the town caucus was held, Mark DeMaranville’s name was entered as candidate for moderator alongside incumbent Joshua Wachtel, but Emerson-Camp said DeMaranville didn’t want the job.

This year marked the first time since the COVID pandemic began that Town Meeting has been held indoors at the Community House, Emerson-Camp said. For the last three years it was held outdoors in June.

James Pentland can be reached at jpentland@gazettenet.com.]]>