Lakeville Select Board restores public safety funding, approves $38.6 million no-override budget

Select Board · Meeting of May 5, 2026

Lakeville's Select Board and Finance Committee jointly approved a no-override fiscal 2027 operating budget of $38,640,207, restoring roughly $172,000 in previously cut public safety funding. Finance Director Mike Ellis presented $215,924 in newly identified savings, drawn from renegotiated IT and software contracts, a planning department vacancy reset to entry-level pay, and revised state aid figures including an $88,000 increase in unrestricted general government aid confirmed during Town Administrator Andrew's visit to the State House the day before the meeting. Select Board member Plonka led the push to direct those funds to fire and police, restoring a full-time firefighter at $71,000, call firefighter wages at $42,000, and a police education and training line at $10,000 to fund joint active-shooter training with Freetown.

A motion by Select Board member Chris to cut the Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District assessment by $1.3 million in the override scenario failed for lack of a second, with member Hunt warning it would "effectively kill the override chances altogether." The operational override vote falls on May 19; municipal employee cost-of-living raises remain unfunded in both budget scenarios.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of May 5, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.