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Sharon Board of Selectmen adds $1,250 for Town Clock triangle watering as budget questions persist
Summary
At a Feb. 24 budget workshop the Sharon Board of Selectmen agreed to add a $1,250 line item to pay a contractor to water the triangle by the Town Clock and pressed departments for clarifications on several FY26/27 requests, including Fire and Ambulance increases and health insurance assumptions.
The Sharon Board of Selectmen inserted a new $1,250 line item to pay an outside contractor to water the triangle by the Town Clock after the Women’s Club said it would continue planting and weeding but needed help with watering. The action was taken during a Feb. 24, 2026 budget workshop at Town Hall that opened at 3:34 p.m. and closed at 5:28 p.m.
Selectman Kearcher highlighted several specific parts of the proposed 2026/27 budget that she wanted clarified before final adoption, including stone repair estimates and the digitization of records for Ellsworth Cemetery; funding reductions affecting Sharon Day Care; beach supplies and maintenance; and the Historical Society’s overall request. "Ms. Kearcher" raised those items for further review, the board recorded.
Selectman Brett said he favors steady, consistent percentage increases in contributions to outside organizations so the town’s support is predictable. First Selectman Flanagan said the board’s primary concerns include upcoming employee transitions that could prompt organizational changes, requests for increased funding from the Fire Department and Ambulance Squad, uncertainty over health insurance costs for new hires, a proposed new Highway Department employee, the Assessor’s Office long-range plan and staffing changes in the Town Clerk’s Office.
The board worked through the draft budget page by page and suggested edits to individual line items. During the discussion they also considered using some Local Capital Improvement Program (LoCIP) funds for road repair, but did not record a formal decision on that funding during the workshop.
The workshop minutes were prepared by Town Secretary Tina Pitcher. No formal roll-call votes or motion seconds were recorded in the workshop summary provided to the town clerk.
The next procedural step is for the board to resolve outstanding clarifications and return to the draft budget for subsequent consideration before any final vote or adoption.
