Medfield Select Board Unanimously Backs $1.9 Million Override Budget Package

MEDFIELD -- March 31, 2026, Medfield Select Board unanimously backs $1.9 million override budget and dog-walking bylaw article. Meeting the night after the annual town election, the newly reorganized board, seating Pete Murphy as chair and Eileen Murphy as clerk, voted to recommend passage of three warrant articles: a Proposition 2 1/2-compliant baseline fiscal year 2027 operating budget capped at 1.8 percent growth (Article 13), an override stabilization fund (Article 14), and an alternative $1.9 million override budget contingent on a successful ballot (Article 15). Warrant Committee Chair Steve Callahan explained that just under $1 million of override proceeds would fund fiscal year 2027 directly, with the remainder pre-funding fiscal year 2028 through the stabilization fund to avoid a second consecutive override vote, a bridge strategy targeting fiscal year 2029, when the Medfield State Hospital Trinity Project redevelopment is projected to generate roughly $1.3 million in new property tax revenue. The board also reviewed Article 39, a proposed dog-walking bylaw authorizing the Select Board to designate off-leash areas and adopt permit fees by posting; no vote was taken, with a full warrant review scheduled for April 7. Resident Lester Cohen raised pointed questions about the town's $120 million long-term capital backlog relative to the modest override amount, prompting Pete Murphy to characterize the figure as "a target" rather than a firm spending commitment.