SHUTESBURY – In a landslide vote, 422 to 85, residents authorized funding a new library. Money will be drawn from a variety of sources in a plan pieced together by town officials.

The library won’t be a done deal until a Special Town Election on June 28. Residents will then be asked to authorize a debt exclusion, a necessary separation of the borrowing from the tax rate, which will prevent taxes from increasing more than 2.5 percent, a violation of the Proposition 2 ½ general law.

The town was awarded a grant on April 7 from the Small Library Pilot Project, a state-level program that covers 75 percent of eligible project costs for new libraries in small towns, up to $6 million. Without local funds to complete the financing, the project will not go forward. The budget for the proposed library, according to the town’s website, totals $6.4 million.

Article 5 of the warrant, passed by the required two-thirds majority, authorized the transfer of monies out of the town’s stabilization, free cash and capital stabilization accounts, and library capital building and library gift funds. A total of $1.3 million from existing town coffers and fundraising receipts was authorized by the voters to be used for the new library.

Those transfers of town monies will pay 20 percent of the project. The state grant will total $3.95 million or 62 percent of eligible costs. The town will borrow another $1.2 million – 18 percent of projected costs – through the Special Town Election vote scheduled for the end of June.

Fundraising will continue apace, according to Kate Cell, co-chair of the library trustees. About $600,000 was raised from donors.

The town originally received an estimated project cost of $8.3 million. Town and state program officials found the estimate much too high. Library trustees and Director Mary Anne Antonellis worked with state library program officials to trim redundancies and reduce furnishings, equipment, paving and other so-called soft costs. Those measures shrank the project budget to the $6.4 million figure.

“Voting at Town Meeting, this last Saturday, [May 21] really mattered to people,” said Town Clerk Grace Bannasch. “We had a huge turnout. For a small town like Shutesbury, having over 500 people show up for Town Meeting is a big deal.”

Annual Town Meeting, which took place behind Town Hall at 1 Cooleyville Rd., developed a circus atmosphere on May 21. Officials anticipated the high attendance. Shutesbury Police Department sent out directions for parking and travel, blocked off Prescott Road from Route 102, and residents living nearby streamed on foot into the town center. A very large tent protected voters from the sun. Luckily, the worst heat of the day began well after lunch, when most of the work had been accomplished.

“People have really started to enjoy having it outside,” Bannasch said. “It contributes to that festival-like feeling. We saw a lot more kids. We had some child care this year … and whole families came. People set up little tents and brought their beach equipment.”

In other business on the warrant, next year’s town budget drew some discussion. The budget was approved for $6.99 million, a significant increase from last year’s $6.3 million budget. Residents authorized spending $12,000 for three solar powered speed limit boards, $20,000 for Vadar accounting software, $45,000 for a new Fire Department vehicle, $225,000 in borrowing for a dump truck for the Highway Department, and $60,000 for design services for the school roof work.

The engineering for the school roof incited discussion. Members of the Finance Committee disagree on the article. Detractors, including Robert Gould, commented the town may be better positioned to deal with the roof, a $700,000 project, in the fall. Voters disagreed and passed the article funding design services.

Voters approved Article 14, establishing a building committee to oversee town construction projects and related maintenance. Article 21 added an energy battery bylaw to the town’s zoning regulations. Article 22 changed the Zoning Board of Appeals to a five member body. Voters passed those changes to the town bylaws.

A citizens petition sought and received support for Medicare for All, a single payer health care system. Article 44 asked for official support for the Fair Share Amendment, which would increase taxes 4 percent on personal income over $1 million. That article also passed.

While residents cast votes, out under the tents, Bannasch noticed several firsts for the town election, which took place in the basement of town hall.

“We had more Town Meeting voters than election voters. That was interesting,” Bannasch said. “We [also] had a couple first-timers on the ballot. I always love to see new people getting involved with town government.”

Christine Robinson, first time on the ballot, was elected town constable. Constables post election warrants and Town Meeting announcements, and ensure that elections go smoothly. First timer Jeff Weston, elected to a two year Planning Board seat, was impressed, Bannasch said, by how much background work goes into each election.

The only contested race was for the Select Board slot filled by Melissa Makepeace-Oneil. The incumbent defeated Donald Wakoluk, 275 to 120, to retain her seat.

Catherine Hilton on the Board of Health, Library Trustees Bradley Foster and Michele Regan-Ladd, Moderator Paul Lyons, and James Hemingway, a member of the Municipal Light Plant Board, did not face challengers. Jeffrey Lacy and Robert Raymond of the Planning Board, and School Committee members Julie Martel and Jennifer Taylor, also saw no challengers and will continue their work for the town.

June 8 is the deadline for registration to vote in the Special Town Election.

The Special Town Election will take place on June 28 in Town Hall, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“It’s up to the voters,” Bannasch said. “Anything that happens after that, I’m just happy we got there.”