For the second time in a week, voters in Richmond, Massachusetts overwhelmingly rejecteda town proposal to buy a Girl Scout camp and turn it into a recreational area.A measure to exempt borrowing $1.5 million for Camp Marion White from the town’s levy limit failed 255 to168 over the weekend. That follows Wednesday’s rejection to buy and improve the 50-acre property for use as a public park. The loan would have meant an initial average tax increase of $195.
Town administrator Matt Kerwood says he will meet with the Selectmen and the project working group Wednesday to discuss possible next steps.
“There were some that clearly said we didn’t need the property,” Kerwood said after the initial vote. “There were others that were concerned about the financial aspect of it. There were others that were concerned about how we were going to deal with the long-term maintenance of it."
Kerwood says he plans to recommend severing the town’s purchase and sale agreement with the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts.