Holbrook Town Meeting Passes 2027 Town Warrant

On May 27th, Holbrook held its Annual Town Meeting to discuss and vote on the Warrant sent by the Select Board. The Warrant includes both the 2026 fiscal report and the proposed 2027 budget.

Town Moderator James J. Curran, Jr. led the Town Meeting, and all 20 Articles proposed were passed.

The Financial Committee, or FinCom, emphasized in its report that 2026 was a significant improvement over previous years. Now that Holbrook has filled out its administrative team fully, the budget process for the 2027 fiscal year was able to be done more efficiently. The appointment of Jordan Remy as Assistant Town Administrator also significantly helped budget deliberations due to Remy’s previous experience on a Finance Committee in a different community.

In their proposal, the FinCom reduced the town’s requested budget by $816,443, making it $57,669,650 for the total 2027 budget. This is an increase of 4.48%, $2,473,736, compared to the 2026 budget. Holbrook Public Schools, Employee Health Insurance, State and County Assessments, and Public Safety salaries mainly drive the increase. 

New positions in the town government are also included in the proposal. A Conservation Agent position, which would return after several years, would assist in enforcing and administering conservation laws and would work within Inspectional Services. Holbrook Public Schools would hire a Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) Coach to help teach multilingual students. A Town Planner would also be hired. FinCom argues this is a needed hire since Holbrook currently relies on volunteer boards. 

Holbrook Public Schools will see a 6% increase in its budget compared to last year, or $1,089,685. This budget increase comes alongside uncertainty surrounding Federal assistance. A few months ago, a 15%, or $34,000, cut in Title 1 Federal Funding was announced.

With the passage of the Holbrook Town Warrant, the town budget is set for July 1st, 2026, through June 30th, 2027