BOXFORD – The Boxford Select Board has officially closed the warrant for the upcoming Annual Town Meeting on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. The final warrant includes 24 articles, now available to view online at www.boxfordma.gov/TownMeeting2025. In the coming weeks, supporting documentation for each article will be added to the site, giving voters a chance to fully review and understand the issues in advance of Town Meeting.
Among the 24 articles are three key items related to the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 operating budget, which begins on July 1, 2025. These include funding for general government operations within Proposition 2½, as well as two proposed overrides—one to fully fund the Boxford Elementary School District, and the other to fund the Town’s Masconomet Regional School District assessment.
Another major proposal is Article 5, which requests a debt authorization and debt exclusion to construct a new Department of Public Works (DPW) facility. Construction bids for the project came in $3 million lower than expected, allowing the Town to pursue a revised financing plan to minimize the impact on taxpayers.
To help voters better understand the warrant articles, the Town Moderator will host a Moderator’s Forum on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, where residents can hear brief presentations on each warrant article. Additionally, voters will be notified of the Town Meeting agenda and warrant through the Town website, social media, and postcards mailed to every household, each featuring a QR code linking directly to the Town Meeting webpage. Paper copies of the warrant will also be available at the Town Clerk’s Office, Town Library, and through the Council on Aging at the Center at 10 Elm.
“Town Meeting is a cornerstone of local democracy and an opportunity for residents to participate in critical decisions about how their government operates and what services it provides,” said Select Board Chair Margaret Chow-Menzer. “We hope residents will review the warrant, ask questions, and join us in helping to shape the future of our community.”
“The Finance Committee held a series of meetings over the winter and early spring to carefully evaluate every expenditure request,” said Finance Committee Chair Michael White. “We’ve recommended a budget that maintains the services residents rely on while keeping the financial impact to taxpayers as low as possible.”
In support of these efforts, the Town has launched its first website-based Digital Budget Book powered by ClearGov, a leading provider of budget transparency tools for local government. This modern, interactive platform replaces static PDFs with a mobile-friendly, ADA-accessible, and user-friendly online tool that enables residents to explore the FY26 proposed budget with interactive graphs, department-level data, and explanatory commentary.
“This new platform is a big step forward in how we communicate the budget to the public,” said Assistant Town Administrator and Finance Director Brendan Sweeney. “ClearGov not only presents the numbers in a visual and accessible way, but also gives residents a deeper understanding of what each department does, what their goals are, and how resources are used to support town services. It’s a much more informative and engaging way to understand the full scope of our local government operations.”
“Preparation for Town Meeting takes a tremendous amount of time and collaboration,” said Town Administrator Matt Coogan. “We are grateful to the volunteers on the Select Board, Finance Committee, and many other boards and committees who have dedicated countless hours to reviewing the warrant articles being presented to residents. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be focused on communicating this information clearly so voters are well prepared to make informed decisions at Town Meeting.”
Residents can explore the Digital Budget Book, review the full Town Meeting warrant, and access more resources at www.boxfordma.gov/TownMeeting2025.
