ROCHESTER — Residents will be asked to vote on 32 issues at Rochester’s Town Meeting on Monday, May 22.

Voters will be asked to decide on a number of town issues ranging from exiting the Green Communities Program to changing the position of Town Clerk from elected to appointed.

The Rochester Select Board voted 2-1 to approve the annual Town Meeting warrant on Monday, May 1. Rochester Select Board member Paul Ciaburri did not vote to approve the warrant.

Voters will have the opportunity to decide if the town remains a “Green Community,” which is a town that is eligible for certain state funding, but is required to follow certain energy-efficient building codes. 

If residents choose to leave the program, “the basic building code of Massachusetts will still apply to the residents of Rochester,” said Town Administrator Glenn Cannon.

A similar citizen’s petition also calls to “terminate participation” in the Green Communities program. 

“If article 27 has voted positive, [the citizen’s petition] really doesn't apply,” said Cannon. 

Voters will also be able to weigh in on if the Rochester Town Clerk should change from an elected position to an appointed one. 

Rochester resident Majorie Barrows is running for the position. According to Cannon, if Barrows is elected she will be able to finish her term.

If approved at town meeting, article 28 will remove the temporary moratorium on marijuana retail sale. If approved, it will allow Megan’s Organic Market, a marijuana retail company, to operate in Rochester.

Finally, the town will be asked to vote on the 2024 operating budget totalling at $25,075,010.

Town Meeting attendees will be asked to vote to approve voters are being asked to approve Old Colony's request to incur short-term debt over five years totaling at $500,000 for a Feasibility Study to renovate Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School. Rochester will be asked to contribute an estimated amount of $100,000 over the next five years

Additionally, the town will be asked to vote to appropriate $208,532 in capital plan funds including $60,000 allotted to the Highway Department for a plow truck and $43,732 for a power load system for an ambulance. 

According to Cannon, all the funds for capital plan projects comes from free cash.

Rochester Town meeting will be held at 7 pm at the Rochester Memorial School. The town meeting warrant is available for view on the Town of Rochester website at www.townofrochestermass.com.