By Marcia Parnell
In a four-hour meeting attended by nearly 200 Becket residents, voters approved a $7,757,877 FY 2026 operating budget, representing a 2.07% increase from 2025, and a $712,489 ambulance budget, representing a 22.5% increase from 2025. A total of 26 articles appeared on the warrant; 21 were passed and five were tabled.
Discussion Around Expenditure Items
Article 2—FY 2026 Operating Budget. With a total Highway Department budget of $1,069,110, $496,689 or 46% represented by salaries and wages, the question was raised about broader road repairs and funding sources. Town Administrator Kathe Warden explained that with voter approval of Article 7 to transfer $400,000 into the Highway Stabilization Fund, it will total $875,000 for road repair. In addition she plans to reapply for state grants, and she and town officials expect to have a bond issue proposal for voter approval at a special town meeting to be held in the coming months.
Article 4—Capital Expenditures totaling $302,700. Voters opted to review line items individually rather than as a lump sum. At $100,000 the Town Hall wind turbine project drew questions about its high cost. After Energy Committee representatives explained a projected payback of 10 years and a 50-year useful life, the item was passed. A $30,000 item for tree removal in the Town’s cemeteries was questioned after Select Board member Chris Swindlehurst pointed out that many of the trees marked for takedown had leafed out and appear healthy. A motion to amend the $30,000 item to include the cost of a certified arborist’s report subject to review and approval by the Select Board was ultimately passed.
Article 8—Funding the Other Post Employee Benefits (OPEB) Liability Account. “What is this?” was the question raised by one resident about the $150,000 proposal to fund the OPEB Liability Account. Select Board member Jeff Piemont explained that the Town’s retiree benefit obligation is significant, and funding this item would bring the account total to $195,000, a small balance relative to the growing obligation, but a start.
Article 9—Ambulance Budget. A question was raised about the hefty increase in Ambulance Salaries from $515,183 in FY 2025 to $646,045, an increase of 25.4%, for FY 2026. Town Administrator Kathe Warden explained that the increase addressed raises, more costly paramedic salaries, and overtime.
Article Passed After Lengthy Discussion
Article 22—Citizens Petition—Outdoor Lighting Bylaw. Known more familiarly as the “Dark Skies” bylaw, this proposed bylaw generated the most audience input of the afternoon. Proponents expressed the health and safety benefits for humans and animals, the need to nurture and protect the increasingly unique beauty and aesthetic of dark skies in the face of climate change and sprawl, and a mechanism for neighbors to get their lighting complaints addressed if they are unable to work things out on their own. Opponents described it as overreach, of questionable cost and safety value for camps and farmers to implement, and unnecessary given success expressed by some residents in solving complaints neighbor-to-neighbor. An amendment was approved to address camp and farmer concerns. The Article passed by a vote of 77 to 69.
Articles Tabled After Discussion and Likely To Be Addressed at Special Town Meeting
Article 15—Acceptance of Mass. General Law Chapter 23B, Section 32(b) Seasonal Community Designation. This article was included in response to the Affordable Homes Act (AHA), which was signed into law by Governor Maura Healey in August 2024 and included Becket as one of 25 Massachusetts seasonal communities owing to the fact that at least 40% of its housing units are second or seasonal homes. Under the law towns defined as seasonal communities must vote to accept the designation. While it was acknowledged that the law implies benefits afforded by the designation, the uncertainty around the potential requirements imposed by the law on the Town led voters to accept a motion to table. Town counsel explained that there was no deadline on the vote to accept or reject the designation. (See https://becketbeat.org/2025/05/01/were-a-seasonal-community-and-the-adus-are-coming/ for more details on seasonal communities.)
Articles 19, 20 and 21—Citizens’ Petition to transfer from Undesignated Funds $31,000 for a “fast-charging” electric vehicle charging station, $7,500 to support the Farmers Market, and $1 to support the development of a gas station at the Becket Country Store. Although it was noted that the articles would need to be amended to request funding from Free Cash, Town counsel advised that it was his legal opinion that towns and municipalities are prohibited from funding commercial enterprises. Voters opted to table the articles, giving Becket Country Store owner Ryan Eley an opportunity to revisit his citizens’ petition in some other fashion.
Article 23—Zoning Bylaw—Addition of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU). Also addressed in the AHA is a provision allowing homeowners to create ADUs by right in single-family zoning districts. ADUs may be half the square footage of a primary residence or 900 square feet, whichever is smaller. (See https://becketbeat.org/2025/05/01/were-a-seasonal-community-and-the-adus-are-coming/ for more details on ADUs.) Article 23 was sponsored by the Becket Planning Board in an effort to incorporate and detail requirements for ADUs in Becket’s bylaws in accordance with state law. Some disagreement and uncertainty about definitions and requirements led to the vote to table the Article.
Additional Takeaways
Drawing less attention but important to note, nonetheless, were the warnings from Town officials about two big pending expense items for the Town. Finance Chair Ron Defoe reminded voters that with fewer state grants and bond funding looming, residents will face a growing tax burden to fund expensive-but-much-needed repairs for asphalt surfaces like County and Yokum Pond Roads. And cited earlier, Select Board member Jeff Piemont advised about the large, growing, and ongoing retiree benefit expense voters will be required to fulfill.
Look for updates in the Becket Beat regarding an upcoming Special Town Meeting to revisit road repair bond financing and tabled articles.
