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Dave Watkins

Whately Boards Approve $800,000 Override Question for May 2 Ballot

WHATELY -- March 26, 2026, Whately's Select Board and Finance Committee jointly approved an $800,000 Proposition 2½ override question for the May 2 town ballot. The two boards met jointly for roughly 20 minutes Thursday evening, voting unanimously to adopt the override question language after a minor wording

Whately Assessors Table Farm Machinery Excise Billing, Tackle Records Backlog

WHATELY -- March 26, 2026, Whately Board of Assessors tables farm machinery excise billing and clears motor vehicle abatement backlog. The board voted unanimously at its March 26 meeting to approve two batches of motor vehicle excise abatements and a new commitment authorizing Treasurer-Collector Jennifer to issue bills, while tabling

Deerfield Conservation Commission Clears Academy Boathouse, Continues MassDOT Roundabout Hearing

DEERFIELD -- March 26, 2026, Deerfield Conservation Commission cleared an Academy boathouse project and pressed MassDOT on wetland conditions at a proposed roundabout during its March 26 meeting. The four-member commission voted 4-0 to issue a Form 2, Negative 2 determination under the Wetlands Protection Act for a Deerfield

Whately Select Board Backs Center School Bond Bid, Approves Survey Funds

WHATELY -- March 25, 2026, Whately Select Board votes to pursue state transportation bond earmark for Center School. The board voted unanimously at its March 25 meeting to authorize a Center School Committee representative identified as Jonathan to contact state Sen. Jo Comerford and request inclusion of Center School infrastructure improvements

Warwick School Committee Unanimously Approves $1.27 Million FY27 School Budget

WARWICK -- March 25, 2026, Warwick School Committee approves $1.27 million FY27 budget and adds school choice seats. The committee voted unanimously Wednesday to adopt a $1,268,480 fiscal year 2027 school budget divided across three accounts, $111,364 for account 301, $780,442 for account 302, and $376,

Shutesbury Finance Committee Approves FY27 Budget, Recommends 19 Warrant Articles

Shutesbury's Finance Committee approved a fiscal year 2027 budget and recommended 19 town warrant articles at its March 24 meeting, with projected average single-family tax increases of $535 to $600 dominating the night's deliberations.

Sunderland Boards Set Framework for Tiered Override, Face Friday Deadline

WHATELY -- March 24, 2026, Sunderland's Select Board and Finance Committee spent nearly two hours Tuesday building a tiered Proposition 2½ override framework to address a budget gap revised during the meeting to $822,686. The boards tentatively settled on two override ballot questions, a first tier of roughly

Whately Personnel Committee Approves 2.5 Percent COLA Recommendation for FY2027

WHATELY -- March 24, 2026, Whately Personnel Committee unanimously recommends a 2.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment for town employees in fiscal year 2027. The four-member committee voted 4-0 at its March 24 meeting to approve the annual recommendation letter to the Finance Committee, down from the 4

Conway Select Board eyes October vote on $236 million Franklin Tech building project

WHATELY -- March 23, 2026, Conway Select Board sets October 6 vote on $236 million Franklin County Technical School building. Superintendent Martin and new business manager Liz Bouchard told the board and Finance Committee Monday that the proposed new construction, down from an initial $246 million estimate, would draw roughly $112

Three Towns Review 189 Percent Senior Center Budget Hike, No Vote Taken

DEERFIELD -- March 23, 2026, Three Franklin County towns review proposed Senior Center budget nearly doubling in cost. Representatives from Deerfield, Sunderland, and Whately met jointly Monday to examine fiscal year 2027 budgets for South County EMS and the South County Senior Center, with no votes taken at the session. The

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