By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — All residential addresses should have received their annual Town Meeting warrant in the mail by this past Tuesday or earlier. The 56-page booklet contains everything a voter needs to know about the FY26 budget included among the 31 articles to be voted on Monday, June 9. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the gymnasium at North Reading High School.
Residents must be registered to vote by May 30 to vote at Town Meeting.
Also added to this warrant is a Special Town Meeting for one article to consider the town’s potential purchase of 97 Main Street, the current location of Ocean State Job Lot. This property, owned by the parent company of Stop & Shop, has been on the market for over a year and the town began negotiations with the parent company earlier this spring.
In advance of Town Meeting on June 9, to better prepare voters for the vast amount of information they will be considering, the Select Board is holding its Informational Meeting next Monday, June 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Room 14 at Town Hall, 235 North St. and also via Zoom.
At this meeting, the public is invited to ask questions about any article in the warrant or concern they have about the various articles.
For a quick overview of the budget, the Select Board on May 5 voted to approve a budget package totaling $95,000,869 as follows:
• Municipal department budgets: $20,753,575
• North Reading Public Schools budget: $40,780,049
• Fixed costs: $25,606,765
• Enterprise budgets (Hillview, Parks and Recreation, and Water): $7,860,480.
The School Committee approved its budget on April 28 and the Finance Committee voted to recommend the budgets on May 7. A complete FinCom report is contained in the Town Meeting warrant as well.
According to a notation on the town’s Budget Central webpage, “the omnibus budget does not include the following costs: OPEB $(425,000), State and County Charges $(274,692), Cherry Sheet Offsets $(37,599), and Reserve for Abatements $(450,000).”
The warrant articles are:
• Article 1: Citizens’ Petition: Amend Code – Zoning Bylaws – Establishment of
Lowell Road Multi-Family Zoning Overlay District
• Article 2: Citizens’ Petition: Amend Code – Zoning Bylaws – Changes to Site Plan
Review, Article XVII
• Article 3: Citizens’ Petition: Amend Code – Zoning Bylaws –
Section 200-30 Zoning Map
• Article 4: Citizen’s Petition to Amend North Reading Zoning Bylaws 200-61
Attachment 1
• Article 5: FY2025 Budget Amendment
• Article 6: FY2025 Capital Budget Amendment
• Article 7: Fund FY2025 Snow and Ice Deficit
• Article 8: FY2025 Appropriate or Transfer Funds to Capital Improvement
Stabilization Fund
• Article 9: FY2025 Appropriate or Transfer Funds to Other Post Employment Benefits
Liability Trust Fund
• Article 10: FY2025 Appropriate or Transfer Funds to Stabilization Fund
• Article 11: FY2025 Appropriate or Transfer Funds to Solid Waste Stabilization Fund
• Article 12: FY2025 Appropriate or Transfer to Water Stabilization Fund
• Article 13: FY2025 Appropriate or Transfer Funds to Participating Funding
Arrangement Fund
• Article 14: FY2025 Appropriate or Transfer Funds to School District Reserve Fund for
Unanticipated/Unbudgeted Costs for Special Education, Out-of-District Tuition, or Transportation
• Article 15: FY2025 Fire Station Planning
• Article 16: FY2026 Operating Budget
• Article 17: FY2026 One-Time Fire Department Recruit and Paramedic Training
• Article 18: FY2026 Capital Expenditures
• Article 19: Authorize Naming of Multi-Purpose Athletic Field
• Article 20: Authorize Naming of Softball Field
• Article 21: Hillview Function Building Demolition Project
• Article 22: Rescind Authorization to Borrow
• Article 23: FY2026 Appropriate or Transfer Funds to Other Post Employment Benefits
Liability Trust Fund
• Article 24: Fund Fiscal Year 2027 Revaluation
• Article 25: Fund Retirement Obligations
• Article 26: FY2026 Fund Town Building Repairs
• Article 27: Prior Year Bills
• Article 28: Authorize Treasurer to Enter into Compensating Balance Agreements
• Article 29: Accept MGL, Chapter 200A, Section 9A – Tax Title Foreclosure Procedures
• Article 30: Select Town Officers
• Article 31: Hear and Act on Reports of Town Officers and Committees
Special Town Meeting.
• Article 1: Acquisition and Appropriation – 97 Main Street