Southwick Decides Against Government Owned Broadband

On May 20, Southwick held its annual Town Meeting, giving residents the opportunity to vote on several key issues affecting their community. One of the most significant proposals was whether the town should borrow $16 million to fund a town-owned broadband network. After thorough discussion and two separate votes, the measure failed to achieve the two-thirds majority required for passage.

This decision came after many residents expressed concerns about whether the financial projections were viable enough to justify the town bonding $16 million to install the network, and what would happen if the town failed to reach the 50% take rate needed to repay the loan. In the end, these concerns were enough for Southwick residents to vote against the project in two separate Town Meeting votes.