Hubbardston Finance Committee approves $17,000 in reserve transfers, reorganizes leadership

HUBBARDSTON -- January 7, 2026, Hubbardston Finance Committee reorganizes and approves $17,000 in emergency reserve transfers at its first post-election meeting. The four-member committee, meeting January 7, elected a new chair, vice chair, and clerk by voice vote before approving a $3,000 transfer to the Department of Public Works for private-way snow plowing and a $14,000 transfer to the Police Department to fund academy fees and one month of wages for a new recruit, after a recently trained officer resigned unexpectedly. The transfers leave the reserve fund at $13,000. Select Board member Heather Monroe told the committee the town has hired interim Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald, brought on former Division of Local Services official Marsha Bohank at $100 per hour to close the still-open FY25 books, which carry a $1,200 discrepancy, and is racing to fill vacancies in the treasurer-collector's office and building commissioner's office before month's end. Monroe also flagged an improperly filed debt exclusion and warned of a likely snow-and-ice deficit still taking shape.