Board Weighs Cemetery Expansion As Earmark Expires

Select Board · Meeting of January 7, 2026

West Boylston's Select Board weighed options for expanding Mount 1 Cemetery before a $125,000 state earmark expires June 30, 2027. Member Barur R. Rajeshkumar said "residents reasonably expect to bury loved ones in their own town" and pushed for action on the town's undeveloped, 20-acre Tivnan Drive parcel. Town Administrator Michael Ward warned "this has happened multiple times with earmarks" and said the town risks losing the funds if it does not commission engineering tests soon.

The board unanimously appointed Rajeshkumar to a two-year Historical Commission seat ending April 30, 2027, restoring that panel's quorum. Officials also said four of 26 applicants remain in the running for town administrator, with interviews set for later this month, and that health insurance costs could rise 10 percent to 20 percent after the town's loss ratio hit 120 percent.

In the full story:

• The Full Story
• [00:24:03] — Town Administrator Carter
• [00:30:15] — Town Administrator Carter
• [00:05:09] — Barur R. Rajeshkumar, Select Board member
• Why It Matters
• Key Motions & Votes
• Source
• West Boylston's community access TV: Select Board meeting, January 7, 2026
• The complete report: 947 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of January 7, 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.