Ashby News

While turnout is expected to be low for the U.S. Senate primary election today, some local races could attract a crowd.

Although the media have been focused on Tuesday's U.S. Senate Democrat and Republican primary elections, residents in several towns in North Central Massachusetts should also be paying attention to the contested races in municipal elections that same day.

Voters at Town Meeting will see a budget recommended by both the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee with the exception of one item, the town administrator's salary.

Selectmen and the Finance Committee agreed at a joint meeting Wednesday night to a budget that uses $47,000 from free cash to balance the bottom line.

Selectmen in Townsend and Ashby must decide how they will fund their respective portions of a $600,000 bill to replace the septic system at Hawthorne Book Middle School in Townsend.