Milton’s Town Meeting was delayed and switched to remote Zoom sessions because of an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in town.
The elected Town Meeting members were supposed to meet in person on May 16, but instead will be back to Zoom on June 6. The Milton Board of Health recommended the change, which was seconded by the town moderator and approved by the Select Board.
The last time the Milton Town Meeting met in person was in December 2019, according to the town clerk’s office.
Like most of the state, Milton has seen a sharp increase in the number of COVID cases. In the two weeks ending on May 7, there were 168 reported cases — an increase of 61.5 percent over the preceding two weeks, according to data on the town’s webpage.
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The agenda for Town Meeting includes 47 articles, of which 42 are related to budget and finances. The $139.4 million budget for next fiscal year is 4.5 percent higher than last year, and is balanced in part with COVID-related money from the federal government. In its report, the town Warrant Committee warned that when that aid ends, the Select Board may have to consider a Proposition 2½ override to continue to pay for services and positions funded with the federal money.
Johanna Seltz can be reached at seltzjohanna@gmail.com.