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.