Town Meeting Backs $9.9M School Budget Over FinCom

Town Meeting · Meeting of May 4, 2026

Berlin Town Meeting approved a $9,911,633 regional school budget over the Finance Committee's objections. Voters backed the Berlin-Boylston Regional School District's full request 111-72, rejecting Finance Committee member Mary Porter's recommended figure that was $162,407 lower. Interim Superintendent Al Gannon warned a lower number would force cuts at Berlin Memorial and Tahanto Middle High School, while Capital Planning Committee's Anna Crane said the district holds nearly $2.8 million in savings and voted no "to get the discussion and keep the discussion going." Town Meeting also narrowly passed, 54-52, a bylaw change ending mailed paper warrants in favor of online notices, over objections from resident Bob McTague.

Voters funded $30,000 in landfill monitoring studies toward a future solar field, $72,000 for paramedic training and a $73,750 regional building inspection service.

In the full story:

• The Full Story
• Why It Matters
• Key Motions & Votes
• Source
• Berlin's community access TV: Town Meeting meeting, May 4, 2026
• The complete report: 1,364 words

Source: the Town Meeting meeting of May 4, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

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