Canton's Annual Town Meeting is Tonight

Tonight is Canton's and all Canton residents are welcome to attend the 7:30 p.m. public meeting. Tonight's meeting will be held in the auditorium.

The  is having its final meeting prior to Town Meeting at 7:00 p.m.

Several issues will be discussed at Town Meeting, including the Canton Public , the town budget, the state of and many other articles on the Town Warrant. The 44 Warrant Articles are available for residents to review online by clicking here.

Some of the debated articles include:

• Article 39: Canton residents could be paying an extra $42 a year to preserve the town. That is, if Article 39 on the Town Meeting Warrant is passed at and is also approved at Town Election. The act would allow the town to set aside funds to be used for community preservation–which includes historical preservation, affordable housing recreational areas and open space.
• Article 29: Mimosas at brunch! This article will change the time of alcohol sales for restaurants in Canton on Sundays to 10:00 a.m.
• Article 34: Paying a little extra for . This tax would add a .75 percent tax on meals in Canton. If you spend $100 on a meal, you would pay an extra 75 cents on your bill if this article were passed at Town Meeting. This article sparked much debate among the Board of Selectmen , the finance  director Murgia and town administrator William Friel. Selectman John J. Connolly said the extra 75 cents or so would not deter folks from eating out in Canton. “If the food is good and the beer is cold,” he said. “I think we should do it.”

• Article 35: The “res.” This article would allow the town to accept a repaired as a donation from the owners. A vote at Town Meeting would authorize the town to receive the donation, selectman Gerald Salvatori said. If the article is not approved, the owners will breech the dam and water levels will get lower, Salvatore said.
• Article 37: Golf anyone? This article will give the town the ability to negotiate with the state on the maintenance and improvement of
• Article 20: More assistance for seniors. This article will raise the rate from $750 to $1,000 a year. The town program allows seniors to work for town departments to receive a tax rebate from the town. Selectman Avril T. Elkort, 102 seniors are already signed up for this program.

Canton School Committee chairman John Bonnanzio said there are several warrant articles that will affect the schools.

"There are a number of school-related matters that will come before voters over the next few nights, including the addition of the, the updating of the emergency funding for the Rodman heating system, (if the system fails, the rest of our schools will have to absorb the approximately 30,000 square feet that are presently being used there for teaching and administrative functions,) and possibly the creation of a SPED Stabilization fund," Bonnanzio said.

"So there are many important issues that directly and immediately affect the schools and, of course, our town," he noted.