Annual Town Meeting attracted 139 elected representatives, who decided Monday how the town will spend its budget monies for the next year, and set other priorities. Here is a quick recap of the five most important items on the 38-article warrant: 1. Snow, Snow, and More Snow: Clearing the sidewalk in front of a property will remain the responsibility of homeowners. Town meeting voters rejected an article placed on the warrant by petition which would have changed that. Voters also approved a new $100 fine for anyone who pushes, shoves, or otherwise dumps snow on to streets and sidewalks. 2. …

Annual Town Meeting voters approved a $79.3 million operating budget Monday night after a quick overview and with little debate. The spending plan includes a 2.5 percent increase for hourly rated employees, such as inspectors and department assistants, and 1.25 percent raises for other hourly workers, including program coordinators and clerks. The budget was crafted over several months by various town committees and boards, before its presentation to Town Meeting, where elected representatives have the final say-so. The 2011-12 town budget includes $37.6 million for the public schools -- an …

The School Committee held its annual budget hearing Thursday night, approving the $37.6 million spending plan after hearing concerns raised about whether tougher decisions will be faced in the future. The budget, which represents an approximately $1 million increase over last year's levels, will go before Annual Town Meeting voters on Monday. Before the School Committee gave the document its final blessing, some members echoed concerns raised during a review of the budget by the Finance Committee last month.  Patrick J. Kennelly said he worried that positions being added this year would only …

It's not every day the town of Milford asks voter permission to buy a house. But for town officials, the property at 26 Dilla St. is all about location, location, location. The property adjoins about 44 acres purchased by Milford earlier this decade, said Selectman Brian Murray. If voters agree at Annual Town Meeting, town officials will purchase the home and property at 26 Dilla St., raze the structure and complete an acquisition of open space adjoining Louisa Lake. The adjoining site purchased by the town earlier this decade has a fence around it, warning passersby on the Upper Charles …

After hearing criticism for weeks, the Milford Planning Board voted Tuesday to pull a proposal from Annual Town Meeting that would have asked voters to allow more apartments on Main Street. The proposal, placed on the warrant by the Planning Board, would have allowed a handful of property owners to develop top-floor apartments in their buildings, as long as the new units were on the third floor or higher. Apartments would have been capped at two bedrooms, and only two apartments on the top floor would have been allowed in each structure. A total of eight buildings facing Main Street were …

No one soon forgets 103 inches of snow, most of it falling in a single month. By the end of winter, frustration levels were rising on many Milford streets, as homeowners tried to dig out their driveways, and town officials tried to keep the roads clear and passable for emergency vehicles. Sometimes the snow piles were shoveled onto roadways. Sometimes, snow was plowed back onto the homeowner's property. Next month, at Annual Town Meeting, the warrant includes two articles that will take on the issue of who is responsible for clearing snow from public rights-of-way, specifically sidewalks and …

A proposed schools budget of $37.6 million will be presented at Annual Town Meeting in May, a spending plan that includes nearly $1 million more than the current year's budget. The town Finance Committee accepted the budget last night, after an hour-long discussion that included some tense exchanges among committee members, and sharp questions directed at the School Committee and Superintendent Robert Tremblay. The proposed budget continues the current programs at the town's public schools, and reflects increasing demands on education,  Tremblay said. Milford has about 4,200 students, a …

Milford annual town meeting voters will be asked to consider a slight increase in public safety spending this year, based on the fire and police department budgets approved by the Finance Committee Thursday. The proposed budgets reflect no increase in the number of personnel or new programs for either department. The increases reflect 1 to 1.5 percent raises for workers, negotiated by contract, and a sharp uptick in gasoline prices. The police budget is $4,776,566, a 2.5 percent increase from this year. Police Chief Thomas O'Loughlin kept general expenses at the same level, with the exception…