Town Meeting approves $7.9 million for solar

Town Meeting · Meeting of April 27, 2026

Winchester's Spring Town Meeting approved a $7,943,000 solar bonding authorization and moved $750,000 into reserves as the town absorbed a failed override. Select Board Chair Anthea Brady said the board must use free cash to balance the budget after voters rejected an $11.5 million override in March, forcing hiring freezes and elementary class-size increases. Finance Committee Chair Derek Ross said the town's $171 million budget was "99.5 percent" aligned, with $900,000 still unresolved.

Members approved 7 percent higher water and sewer rates, 5-0 from the Select Board, adding roughly $16 per quarter to average bills. The solar article passed 136-0 after members amended it, 143-0, to add Ambrose Elementary School; the Finance Committee had voted 6-3 against it. Sustainability Director Ken Pruitt projected $7.3 million in net savings over 25 years.

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Source: the Town Meeting meeting of April 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.