Hubbardston Select Board Interviews Three Town Administrator Finalists, Defers Hire to Friday

HUBBARDSTON -- May 11, 2026, Hubbardston Select Board interviews three Town Administrator finalists and postpones hiring decision to Friday. The four-member board, Chair Jeff Williams, Vice Chair Katie Young, and members Peter Walker and Chris Borrego, questioned candidates Alex Magee, Allyson Mitchell, and Elizabeth Kazinskas on school budget negotiations, a planned municipal complex capital project estimated in the range of $5.5 million to $7.5 million, MBTA Communities Act compliance, and economic development strategy. All three candidates addressed Quabbin Regional School District assessments that consume roughly 61 to 62 percent of Hubbardston's budget and have been outpacing revenue growth. Magee drew on an Arlington budget-coordination model that held school growth to a blended 5 percent and town-side growth to 3.25 percent; Mitchell, a Rutland resident with familiarity with the Quabbin district, called for the five member towns to present a united front to the superintendent; and Kazinskas, a Gardner city councilor and acting mayor, cited a grant-procurement program that produced $50 million for Gardner over three years. Board members said they were unprepared to decide Monday and set a follow-up session for Friday, May 15, at 6:30 p.m.