Nahant aims to save money by posting Meeting warrant online

NAHANT – Using the Internet to disseminate information to voters could save the town more than $7,000 a year.Currently every registered voter in town receives a bound copy of the Report and Recommendations of the Advisory and Finance Committee, which is sent through the United States Postal Service.The Advisory and Finance Committee believes the town could save money by changing how information regarding the annual Town Meeting warrant is provided to voters.Nahant Town Administrator Mark Cullinan said a draft article on the warrant would make the report and recommendations of the Advisory and Finance Committee available on the town Web site and only 500 copies of the book would be printed. He said the draft specifies the content would be available online at least seven days prior to the annual Town Meeting. Hard copies of the report would be available for pick up at various town buildings, including Town Hall.Cullinan said the draft warrant article was submitted by the Advisory and Finance Committee.Town Accountant Deborah Waters said last year there were 2,600 reports printed and it cost the town $9,357 for printing and postage.”If we had printed 500 last year, instead of $2,600 we would have saved $7,757,” she said. “The cost averaged out to $3.50 per report.”Waters explained the cost for sending out the book varies from year to year depending on how many pages the report is, postal increases and changes in the number of registered voters.Because the proposed article will be tackled at the annual Town Meeting on April 25, Cullinan said this year residents would receive the Report and Recommendations of the Advisory and Finance Committee by mail like they have in the past.