Gray council elects new chair, confirms vice chair and shifts meeting start to 6:30 p.m.

The Gray Town Council voted to elect Vince Palumbo as chair and confirmed Judith (Judy) Simino as vice chair during the regular meeting. The chair nomination for Palumbo was made and seconded from the floor and the council voted in favor; Palumbo accepted the gavel and thanked outgoing chair Mike for his service, saying he would outline goals and expectations at the next regular meeting.

Council members then took up the vice chair nomination and voted; the chair recorded the vote tally during discussion as four in favor and one opposed. After the leadership votes the council moved through routine business including approval of June 2, 2022 minutes with a minor name-format correction.

In new business the council considered Resolve 2627-2, the FY2026–27 meeting schedule. After discussion about budget timing and public engagement the council voted to change its regular start time to 6:30 p.m., remove the July 7 and July 21 dates and add a single July 14 meeting; the motion passed. Several councilors said they want to shift budget planning earlier in the cycle to allow more time for department-level detail and public review.

The council also reviewed and approved the FY2026–27 liaison assignments across committees and boards, naming representatives and alternates for roles such as finance committee, library, open space, planning board, zoning board and festival planning.

Formal votes recorded at the meeting included: election of the chair (motioned and seconded from the floor), confirmation of the vice chair (motioned and seconded), a motion to table Resolve 2627-1 (the reaffirmation of council rules) for further edits, adoption of the adjusted meeting schedule and approval of liaison assignments. The council set its next meeting for July 14 at 6:30 p.m.