By Marcia Parnell
The Annual Town Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, May 10th, 2 pm at the Becket Washington School.
Briefly summarized below are some key articles that voters will consider at the Town Meeting.
• Article 2. FY 2026 Operating Budget of $7,757,855
• Article 9. Ambulance Budget of $712,489
• Article 15. Acceptance of Mass General Law Chapter 23B, Section 32 (b) Seasonal Community Designation. Becket meets the criteria of a seasonal community and as such may be entitled to distinctive tools to address its unique housing needs.
• Article 19. Citizens’ Petition for funds in support of a “fast-charging” station, farmers market, and gas and diesel station development at the Becket Country Store.
• Article 22. Citizens’ Petition for Outdoor Lighting Bylaw. The proposed bylaw would establish outdoor light standards for new residential, commercial and municipal lighting fixtures along with some criteria for lights among existing outdoor light fixtures.
• Article 23. Zoning Bylaw Addition of Accessory Dwelling Units. The proposed bylaw addresses the local stipulations for the state’s Affordable Homes Act (AHA), which was signed into law in 2024 as a result of the statewide housing shortage. Within the AHA is the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) section, which gives homeowners the legal right to construct an ADU on their property. An ADU can be within an existing home, attached to it, or detached from it; may not exceed 900 square feet; and, importantly, must comply with state and city, or town, bylaws.
The Town Election is set for the following Saturday, May 17th, at Becket Town Hall with the polls open from 10 am to 7 pm. To help voters get to know the candidates prior to the election, a public forum is scheduled for Monday, May 12th, at 5pm in the Community Room at the Town Hall. Each candidate will provide a brief statement followed by questions from
the audience and answers from the candidates. A sample of the actual ballot is included below.
For a copy of the warrant and all articles, go to townofbecket.org/administration.
