Select Board sets May 2 Town Meeting amid budget gap

Select Board · Meeting of January 12, 2026

Groton Select Board voted to hold the 2026 Annual Town Meeting on Saturday, May 2, as officials detailed a looming school budget gap. Town Manager Mark said the municipal budget would rise $353,000, or 22 percent of new revenue, after cutting a vacant police officer and highway equipment operator position; the Groton-Dunstable assessment would climb $1.221 million. School finance presenter Sherry said the district still faces a deficit of $907,891 to $1,353,528 even with placeholders from both towns, driven by a 6.46 percent budget increase and rising health insurance and retirement costs.

Board member Allison warned that waiting until April to weigh a Proposition 2½ override would be "too late logistically." The board also ratified Robert Maloney as acting water superintendent and filled two Zoning Board of Appeals vacancies.

In the full story:

• The Full Story
• Why It Matters
• Key Motions & Votes
• Source
• Groton's community access TV: Select Board meeting, January 12, 2026
• The complete report: 976 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of January 12, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.