Northborough Select Board closes warrant, rejects firefighter stabilization fund 1-4

NORTHBOROUGH -- March 23, 2026, Northborough Select Board closes town meeting warrant, rejects firefighter fund, zeros out its own salary line. The board voted 5-0 Monday to eliminate the Select Board salary line, approximately $6,280, from the fiscal year 2027 operating budget, with Member Jacob Jones moving the item and Member Laura Zayton seconding. The board also voted 5-0 to add a new commercial parking restriction bylaw to the annual town meeting warrant, setting fines of $100 for a first offense and $300 for subsequent offenses on Bartlett and Lyman streets, where Amazon-related truck parking has drawn neighborhood complaints. A motion by Member Mike Teejan to add a SAFER-grant firefighter stabilization fund article failed 1-4, with only Teejan in favor; Fire Captain and union president Pat McManus had urged the board in public comment to let town meeting decide, noting last year's vote failed by just six votes. The balanced $91.6 million FY27 general fund budget, presented jointly with the Appropriations Committee, relies on $1.2 million in free cash, including $700,000 above policy limits, and leaves virtually no Proposition 2.5 levy capacity, with Finance Director Jason projecting a likely operating override of roughly $2.7 million in FY28. The school committee voted budget for the pre-K through 8 district is $32,076,841, a 6.96 percent increase including a reduction of 7.4 FTEs; Algonquin Regional comes in at $31,416,287, up 5.81 percent with 5.5 FTE cuts. The board voted 4-1 to appoint Deputy Chief Espaisi as acting fire chief effective April 1, the date Chief David Parenti officially retires after nearly a decade leading the department.