Boxborough Select Board Orders Dual Budget as Override Becomes Likely in FY2026

BOXBOROUGH — November 24, 2025 — Boxborough Select Board orders dual-budget framework as a Proposition 2½ override appears increasingly likely for fiscal year 2026. Finance Committee Chair Tony told the board Monday that the town's average annual levy increase of 5.5 percent has consumed nearly all of its excess levy capacity, leaving roughly $72,000 of headroom — a figure that will shrink after accounting for new growth of only $181,000, well below prior-year levels. The board voted 4-1 to direct Town Administrator Mike to produce an A budget reflecting level services and a B budget reflecting level funding, with the Finance Committee projecting the B budget would require staff reductions across both the town and the school district. Health insurance costs are projected to rise roughly 20 percent. The board separately voted unanimously to set the FY2026 residential tax factor at 1.0, maintaining a single tax rate for all property classes; Interim Assessor Jim Daugherty reported the average single-family home is now assessed at approximately $985,000, with average tax bills rising about $800 to roughly $14,000. The board also backed a $144,000 Community Preservation Committee application to replace the Town Hall roof and authorized the sale of $1,554,500 in bond anticipation notes to cover equipment and road maintenance debt.