Boxborough Select Board Approves Annual Town Meeting Warrant, Appoints Planning Board Member

BOXBOROUGH -- March 23, 2026, Boxborough Select Board votes more than a dozen Annual Town Meeting warrant articles and authorizes fire station designer selection at lengthy March 23 session. The board recommended a 3 percent cost-of-living wage adjustment for non-union, non-contract employees, an estimated $34,055 direct payroll cost, as well as $15,000 in free cash for a town-wide compensation study, the first since 2020; both passed 4-0-1 with Member Robert Stemple abstaining due to his place on the intermittent pay schedule. School Committee member Adam Klein confirmed the FY2027 regional school assessment to Boxborough at $17,734,103 and described solar power purchase agreements for four school buildings projected to cut electricity costs by one-third. The board voted 5-0 to authorize the Fire Station Building Committee to select architect finalists and negotiate a contract under a not-to-exceed cap of $2 million, with final approval reserved to the Select Board. Chair Kristin Hilberg and Member Priya Sundaram apologized for the rushed January rollout of Friday Town Hall hours, and Town Administrator Mike Johns, who acknowledged delaying the announcement, confirmed Town Hall will not open on Fridays while a community needs survey is developed. The board voted 4-1 to move Planning Board warrant articles to an earlier position on the town meeting agenda, targeting maximum public participation at the May 19 Annual Town Meeting.