Grafton leaders back balanced FY26 budget proposal and add municipal waste enterprise fund to warrant as override debate continues

The Grafton Select Board and School Committee on Thursday endorsed a balanced fiscal 2026 budget proposal developed by town and school administrators and agreed to place an article creating a municipal solid waste enterprise fund on the spring warrant, while members continued to debate whether to ask voters for an override to restore or permanently fund school services.

The decision followed a report from the Finance Committee, which recommended the administrators' plan to move $600,000 out of the town operating budget and create the enterprise fund and noted a school-side reduction plan of $609,000. Cal Quirk, a member of the Finance Committee, summarized the committee's actions: "The first motion that we voted on was a recommendation ... that the select board does indeed follow the current plan that Dr. Cummings and Evan have presented," including the $600,000 transfer and the $609,000 school reduction plan.

Why it matters: Officials said the combination of one-time offsets and a clear plan for replenishing the town's reserves was intended to protect the town's bond rating and to give administrators time to develop a sustainable trash-collection funding approach for FY27. At the same time, many school supporters and several board members urged putting an override before voters so the cuts would not become permanent.

Administrators' proposal and committee recommendations

Town and school leaders presented a "balanced budget" that relies in part on a one-time transfer (described at the meeting as $600,000)…