Concord Town Meeting Approves $147.8M Budget With Carlisle School Assessment Up 9 Percent

CARLISLE — April 27, 2026 — Concord's 2026 Annual Town Meeting approved a $147.8 million budget Monday, with votes directly affecting Carlisle's school assessments. Town Moderator Carmen Reese presided over the meeting at Concord-Carlisle High School, where 343 voters approved Concord's $26,810,821 share of the Concord-Carlisle Regional School District operating budget unanimously — a 1.24 percent increase for Concord, but Superintendent Dr. Hunter disclosed that Carlisle's high school assessment rises approximately 9 percent in FY27 due to an enrollment shift, with Carlisle growing from 262 to 273 students while Concord fell from 859 to 812. Concord's $1,886,548 Minuteman Regional assessment, a 7.6 percent increase, also passed unanimously. Voters approved $600,000 for municipal facilities feasibility studies 251 to 70 after public debate over the Land Use Working Group's process, and established a new capital stabilization fund by a vote of 288 to 9, immediately funding it with $1,250,000 from free cash. Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Barrett secured unanimous passage of a $948,791 free cash transfer correcting FY24 reserve accounting errors caused by a software conversion and staff turnover.