Millbury reappoints all five fire engineers after contested vote

Select Board · Meeting of July 14, 2026

Millbury Select Board reappoints all five Board of Fire Engineers members after a contested process fight. Fire Chief Mark Strong and colleagues Peter Balkus, Jason Kadron, Steve Koshiba and Robert Silver Jr. were each reappointed — Koshiba by a 3-2 vote — after challenger Lieutenant Keith LaCross was interviewed but not seated. Firefighter Marianne Smith opened the meeting asking "was the process used to make the decision fair, transparent, consistent," and 38-year veteran Timothy Clue argued the contested seats were "null and void" because the opening was never posted at any station.

The board voted unanimously to explore forming a Fire Department Modernization Committee to study shifting from its board-of-fire-engineers structure to a full-time chief, an idea Chief Strong called overdue: "we are about 20 years behind the eight ball." The board also approved three National Grid utility petitions, a hazard mitigation plan opening new FEMA-linked grant funding, and reappointed Christine Bart to the Council on Aging.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,826 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of July 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.