Is Reading's Override Wording Legal?

A Letter to the Editor from Bill Brown:

At the request of the School Committee the Board of Selectmen voted to amend the original ballot question that the voters of Reading will be asked to approve or disapprove on the April 3, 2018 override ballot.

The original question asked the voters to approve $2,654,969.00 for the schools as one part of a four-part question for a total amount of $4.15 million. The State DOR defines this type of question as “earmarked.” If approved by the voters this mandates that Town Meeting must vote the funds in that manor.

As amended the school amount is now split into three “earmarked” sections that still adds up to the $2,654,969.00.

By state law Town Meeting may only vote to increase or decrease the amount in the warrant line item. They CANNOT vote how that amount shall be used.

The ballot question that the voters will see now has three “earmarked” on the school line item.

In my opinion Town Meeting CANNOT vote on those “earmarks” by state law.

If the override fails the point is moot. If it does pass, being on a fixed income, I do not the means to support the needed challenge it should have.

Is there a lawyer out there that would be willing to take a cup of coffee and a doughnut for payment in full for his or her service to challenge the question?

William C. Brown, Martin Road