Town Meeting passes $76.8 million budget, 166-21

Town Meeting · Meeting of May 12, 2026

Seekonk Town Meeting approved a $76.8 million FY27 budget and rejected $975,000 for a Martin School parking lot. Voters passed the general fund budget 166-21, after adding $173,000 in Chapter 70 aid to the schools line, 158-33. Town Administrator Sean Kadeem said the $78.7 million total plan funds four mid-year firefighter hires.

Finance Committee member Chris Rizzo warned that "the only thing worse than not giving the firefighters staff is giving it to them and then taking it away." Voters also approved $725,000 for the high school pool's air handling unit, 170-24, and indefinitely postponed a billboard bylaw. The $975,000 lot article failed 72-101, and a bid to reconsider it lost 63-75.

In the full story:

• The Full Story
• [01:37:46] "It isn't adding additional taxes. It's coming from a stabilization fund that already exists." — Superintendent Rebecca Kidwell
• [02:10:40] "Our history in this town is we go ahead, we start with a number, then we come back for more money." — Tim Hayton, Linden Road
• Why It Matters
• Key Motions & Votes
• Source
• Seekonk's community access TV: Town Meeting meeting, May 11, 2026
• The complete report: 1,124 words

Source: the Town Meeting meeting of May 12, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.