Danville selectmen reallocate $20,000 from Long Pond milfoil treatment to police funding

On May 4, 2026 the Danville Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to repurpose $20,000 that had been budgeted for milfoil treatment on Long Pond and apply it to the Police Department budget to help fund existing officer(s).

Vice Chair Shawn O'Neil, who made the motion, framed it as a budget prioritization amid a broader budget shortfall and the town's rising assessed values. "It boils down to treating milfoil or hiring a police officer," he said during the discussion. Selectman Scot Barr seconded the motion; the Board approved it without recorded opposition.

The vote followed a brief explanation of the town's 2025 total equalization value from the Department of Revenue Administration: $979,693,324, which Vice Chair O'Neil described as a roughly 50% statistical increase from the previous year's assessed value and a factor in how the town sets tax rates and allocates limited budget dollars.

Board members discussed whether state funds were tied to the milfoil program. Selectman Joe Hester said he believes the state contributes a matching amount; the transcript does not specify the amount or a legal requirement to spend the town's $20,000. The Board directed that the Long Pond Association be informed that the town will redirect its $20,000 for budgetary reasons and that the association remains free to seek other funding or approaches.

The reallocation is an operational budget decision by the Selectmen; the transcript does not record any formal changes to long-term milfoil management agreements or state-matching commitments. Next steps noted on the record were notifying affected stakeholders and reflecting the change when finalizing line items for the current budget year.