Lakeville Sets July 28 Special Town Meeting for Disputed School Budget

LAKEVILLE -- June 16, 2026, Lakeville Select Board votes to hold a special town meeting July 28 over the FY27 school budget. The board voted 5-0 at its June 16 meeting to schedule the session for 6:30 p.m. at Apponequet Regional High School Auditorium, after the School Committee was forced to rescind and re-vote its budget recommendation on June 15 following a numerical error. Town Administrator Andrew Sukforth estimated the meeting will cost between $3,000 and $5,000, and said his understanding is that costs for a joint session fall to the school department. The board also unanimously approved a three-year employment contract for Fire Chief Michael O'Brien at a total annual value of $157,729.85, including a newly added EMT incentive of $8,600, and voted to pursue the dedication of the Pickens Street overpass to Vietnam veteran Brian Reynolds. A $37,750 state biodiversity grant application for a five-year vegetation management plan for Long Pond, the second attempt after a 2025 submission was not funded, was approved for submittal. The board entered executive session at 6:41 p.m. on a matter concerning the Lakeville Country Club.