Stoneham Votes To Continue Trash Fee

The trash fee is here to stay, at least for FY19.

Monday night Stoneham Town Meeting voted no to Article 22, a bid to use the town's free cash to avoid the fee. As worded, the motion asked that "the town vote to transfer the sum of $1,100,000 from Surplus Revenue (free cash) to be used to cover the cost of trash expenses not limited to trash collection but including all trash related expenses or activities with the purpose of elimination of the trash fee for FY19."

Despite an organized effort that included phone calls and door-to-door campaigning, Article 22 failed to get a majority hand vote. A request for secret ballot was not supported.

Article 9 was passed, meaning the Board of Selectmen will now be called the Select Board.