Holden Selectmen Set $5.5M Override Question

Board of Selectmen · Meeting of April 6, 2026

Holden selectmen voted unanimously to set a $5.5 million Proposition 2 1/2 override question for the May 11 ballot. Finance Committee Chair Paul Challenger said the panel's original $4.9 million recommendation grew by $500,000 to cover relocating town offices out of the deteriorating Starboard Building. Challenger warned that without the override, Holden will cut three police officers, a firefighter-EMT position, three DPW workers and sharply reduce library and senior center hours, saying "we'll just go off the cliff" if the town keeps drawing down its nearly depleted stabilization fund.

Town Manager Peter Lukes said the town received a $10 million wire transfer from Worcester, the first installment of a $35.5 million sewer judgment. Selectmen also voted 4-1 to extend Lukes' contract to April 1, 2029, with no raise.

In the full story:

• The Full Story
• Why It Matters
• Key Motions & Votes
• Source
• Holden's community access TV: Board of Selectmen meeting, April 6, 2026
• The complete report: 968 words

Source: the Board of Selectmen meeting of April 6, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.