Leo Mainelli Added Colonial History To The Budget

The April 30th Charlestown Budget Hearing took only a few minutes this year. The budget was presented, there were no questions from the public and the only comment was “good job”. The 2018 budget continues to keep Charlestown’s tax rate one of the lowest in the state. The tax rate may go up about 6 cents from $9.59 to $9.65 depending on the final value of all property in town. The budget goes next to the Town Council at their May 14 meeting for final revisions and adoption. Then it will go to the voters for an all day referendum on June 4th.

Before the budget presentation, Town Moderator Leo Mainelli presented a history of the origin of the town of Charlestown. Leo read from the colonial act that divided Westerly into two towns, with one remaining Westerly and the other becoming Charlestown.

Click here or on the text above to read the full 1738 Act that created Charlestown.

Leo continued the history of our town’s beginning by reading from the minutes of Charlestown’s first Town Council meeting held in 1738.

Our town’s first Councilmen were Captain Joseph Stanton, Captain William Clark, Captain John Hill, Captain Danial Stanton, Mr. John Honjey, and Mr. Samuel Willburn.

At this first meeting, Council member Captain John Hill was granted a liquor license for two pounds 10 shillings. There is no mention of Captain Hill recusing from the vote! It was noted that “John and Mary to be married out of town”, but no clue as to who John and Mary were was given in the minutes. Another meeting topic was that a “woman died”, but who she was is not included in the minutes. Her identity is unknown now, but the Council discussed her last will and testament and detailed the list of items in her estate. Apparently the Town Council also acted as the Probate Court.

Leo, with the help of Town Clerk Amy Rose Weinreich, had discovered all these documents in Charlestown’s Land Evidence Records and Town archives. Attendance was low at the hearing, probably due to the absence of any controversial issues and the continuation of Charlestown’s low tax rate. Despite the sparse attendance, Leo made the Budget Hearing fun, interesting, and worth attending.

Thanks to Leo and Amy for sharing our town’s sometimes amusing history and thank you to the Budget Commission for continuing to maintain Charlestown’s strong fiscal health!