Hot topic: Article 4 would discontinue the practice of the town clerk being paid via stipend from fees generation by the office, such as registering a car or license plate. Instead, the Webster town clerk would be paid $35,000 a year with the requirement that he or she works 15 hours a week in addition to four extra hours during the last week of the month.

The purpose of this article to allow the town clerk to receive health insurance, select board member Chris Schadler said.

“We feel that in order to be competitive with other towns, we have to have a benefits package that goes along with our town clerk position,” Schadler said.

Webster’s current town clerk already has benefits, authorized by a past select board. This would ensure future town clerks would have them as well.

If this change were made fees generated in the town clerk office – last year $7,994 – would go to the town, and not the clerk. The town clerk would also not be paid her previous annual stipend, $14,669 last year.

Budget: The proposed operating budget is $1.5 million, up two percent from last year’s $1.46 million.

One place where the budget increased slightly was town hall employee salaries. This year the town made the decision to promote former administrative assistant Leslie Palmer to town administrator, resulting in an 11 percent increase in her salary from $45,900 to $51,000 a year.

Webster’s current financial administrator, Wendy Pinkham, is set to retire this year so the town is hoping to hire a financial assistant to help with the transition. The town allocated $4,000 in its budget to help get that person through a general training period.

Noteworthy articles: The town will be asked if they want to allow a solar farm to be constructed at the Hopkinton/Webster transfer station.

When and where: The town meeting will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Webster Town Hall.

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