Townsend Finance Committee Backs Most Warrant Articles, Rejects Reading Room Sale

TOWNSEND -- April 28, 2026, Townsend Finance Committee unanimously voted against recommending the sale of the West Townsend Reading Room, citing unresolved deed and legal title questions. At the April 28 meeting, all seven members were present as the panel worked through roughly 15 annual and special town meeting warrant articles, recommending the majority. Member Mary Jane Church said the town's property lawyer "could not find the deed" for the Reading Room, which was donated in 1979 along with a maintenance fund now holding $27,000, and argued any sale may require court action to establish title. The committee also unanimously recommended appropriating a $640,332.10 PFAS legal settlement to the town's water treatment maintenance fund and endorsed a new $10,000 police detail administration revolving fund. Action on Article 4, establishing Community Preservation Act reserve fund categories based on an estimated $161,000 in FY27 collections, was deferred to a follow-up session April 30 after member Kathleen Swarkey said the article's language may not conform to state law. The main operating budget and the $2,497,508 water enterprise budget were also held for Thursday pending receipt of detailed budget documents.