Town of Abington

The work continues! Today, engineers were again surveying the Memorial Bridge at Island Grove. The engineers were in a boat surveying underneath the Bridge. Once surveying is complete they will dig into the Bridge design. An accurate survey is especially important because the original survey referenced in the deed was a 'sketch'. This new survey creates an important understanding of Memorial Bridge and the surrounding wetlands. The design process for Memorial Bridge's redesign and reconstruction is being jointly funded by the Massachusetts Historical Commission and Community Preservation Funds.

Early voting for the Presidential Primaries will be open February 24 - March 1 at the Town Clerk's office at Town Hall. Any Abington registered voter can participate in early voting. Early voting is open the following days and hours: Monday - Thursday from 8:30AM - 4:30PM Friday 8:30AM - 12:30PM Saturday, February 24 from 9AM - 3PM Town Office Building, 500 Gliniewicz Way, Abington, MA 02351

Abington FinCom is hard at work to crafting the FY25 budget. Abington relies heavily on State aid to fund the Town’s budget. The State is currently collecting less taxes than previously estimated which is creating many unknowns for funding in FY25. Keeping this in mind FinComm has the following goals for next year's budget: •Maintain department services at the same level •Create a balanced budget •Provide some capital items (bigger one-time purchases like roof repairs, police cruisers or DPW trucks, etc) with funds left from the FY24 budget. •Allocate some funds to the stabilization fund Learn more about the Finance Committee in their committee spotlight. https://www.abingtonma.gov/site-home/news/finance-committee-spotlight

Department Spotlight: Finance Committee The Finance Committee, a group made up of all volunteers, is meeting often and working hard to prepare a balanced budget to present at Town Meeting. The Finance Committee, or FinComm, is responsible for reviewing the finances of the Town, from income to spending, and making sure that the Town is using the residents' money wisely and effectively. The largest responsibilities are reviewing and helping prepare and balance the yearly budget and providing recommendations to the people of the Town on the warrant articles presented at every Town Meeting. Read more about FinComm and their short and long term goals. https://www.abingtonma.gov/site-home/news/finance-committee-spotlight

Our Town Clerk's office is in full swing to prepare for the Presidential Primary election which will take place on March 5 at the Beaver Brook School. Mail-in voting applications are processed through a rigorous, detailed system to ensure accuracy. Thousands of requested ballots are being mailed. When they are returned by voters, ballots will be sorted and stored in a locked safe. Early voting is also an option in the 2024 Presidential Primaries. Any registered voter in Abington can vote in-person at the Town Clerk's office at Town Hall during early voting. Early voting is: February 24 - March 1st Monday - Thursday from 8:30AM - 4:30PM Friday 8:30AM - 12:30PM Saturday, February 24 from 9AM - 3PM

Memorial Bridge at Island Grove is undergoing reconstruction and repair! The long-awaited project is currently in the design phase. Engineers surveyed the bridge and surrounding wetlands on February 6, 2024 as part of their design work. The design process is being funded jointly by the Massachusetts Historical Commission and Community Preservation Funds. The bridge and its arch are historically significant and were dedicated in memory of Civil War Veterans.

Friendly Reminder! Q3 Real Estate and Personal Property are due February 1st. Payments can be made by mail, in-person at the Treasurer/Collectors Office at Town Hall or online at https://unipaygold.unibank.com/customerinfo.aspx

If you are a registered voter, you should have received a vote-by mail application from the Secretary of State. If you are not interested in voting by mail, no action is required. If you would like to vote by mail in the Presidential Primary or General Election, please fill out your application COMPLETELY, including signing your name and the date. The Town Clerk's office appreciates voters returning the application ASAP. Learn more about the vote-by-mail process at https://www.abingtonma.gov/site-home/news/2024-voting-information

Department Spotlight Assessors’ Office Jodie Hurst the Administrative Clerk in the Assessors’ Office has been employed with the town for almost 22 years and in this department for 15 years! She enjoys answering resident questions and helping residents understand their property and real estate taxes. Jodie developed a very helpful guide to understanding a residential property card. Find it on the Assessors’ webpage at https://www.abingtonma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif236/f/uploads/understanding_prcs.pdf A residential property card is a detailed record created and updated by the Assessors’ office to determine the value of your property. Residents can find their property cards on the Assessors’ database at https://gis.vgsi.com/abingtonma/.

Department Spotlight Assessors’ Office Michelle Taft has been with the Assessors’ Office for two years as the Assessing Technician and Clerk. She can be found in the office updating property information in the department’s database or out in the field gathering data and doing inspections. Her favorite part of the job is helping residents get the exemptions they are entitled to. In Abington, several exemptions are offered for residents such as the elderly and veteran exemptions. Learn more about the exemptions that are offered at https://www.abingtonma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif236/f/uploads/exempt_handout_for_web_fy24.pdf.

There is a lot in store for 2024! Abington Town Hall's winter newsletter outlines some big department plans for this year and takes a look back at the accomplishments in 2023. Read our 2024 Winter Newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/abingtonma/winter2024

The 2024 Town Meeting Warrant is now open and will close on Monday, February 12. Additional information and a template is available for Citizen Petitions at https://bit.ly/citizenpetition2024. A Citizens' Petition is an article brought forward by a voter for discussion and action at Town Meeting. The petitioner must get at least 10 signatures of registered Abington voters to have the article added to the Annual Town Meeting warrant. If you are interested in filing a Citizens' Petition please contact the Town Manager.