Shrewsbury Town Meeting Approves $169.8 Million FY27 Budget, Launches Municipal EMS

SHREWSBURY -- May 18, 2026, Shrewsbury Town Meeting approved a $169,810,336 fiscal year 2027 operating budget and launched a new municipal emergency medical services department at its annual meeting Monday. The Finance Committee backed the operating budget by a 5-to-4 vote, an unusual split that Finance Committee member Dave Remington attributed to a confluence of new spending including $762,637 in EMS startup costs, $500,000 for road repairs, and a $300,000 mid-year energy transfer, all arriving in a single fiscal year. Town Manager Kevin Mizekar said the budget is balanced with recurring revenues and that a $527,000 increase in state aid was deliberately set aside rather than spent. The Select Board voted 3-1 with one abstention on the school department's $94,405,286 portion, with Select Board member Greg Richards citing dissatisfaction with budget access; School Committee Chair Rachel Sharif Poore disputed that characterization. Members also approved a $650,000 lighting project at the Maple Lab Recreation Area, a $350,000 appropriation for Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services after extended debate, a $112,500 Community Preservation Act rental assistance pilot targeting 25 low-income households, and a $475,000 deposit into a newly established fire apparatus stabilization fund, clearing all 37 warrant articles before adjourning past 10:30 p.m.