Finance Panel Backs $386,289 Override Contingency

Finance Committee · Meeting of June 3, 2026

PAXTON — The Paxton Finance Committee voted unanimously to recommend a $386,289 contingency budget and a matching Proposition 2½ override to restore cuts if voters approve it. Town Administrator Robert told members two officers out on injury leave and a new $25,000-a-month Anna Maria College coverage deal pushed police costs up 12.9 percent, well past the committee's 2.5 percent guidance. Fire Chief Mike Vigitore successfully pushed to restore a $7,000 dispatch fiber-optic repair line he called "a huge insurance policy," after warning a failure could cut off 911 radio communications.

The committee voted four to two to recommend the Wachusett Regional School District's reduced 2.19 percent assessment contingent on the override, after voting unanimously to recommend the assessment on its own. Members estimated the override would add roughly $226 a year, about 2.8 percent, to the average single-family tax bill on top of the standard 2.5 percent levy increase. The Select Board must close warrant articles by Monday at 5 p.m.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,078 words

Source: the Finance Committee meeting of June 3, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.