2026 Town Meeting, Election Briefs

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We will be updating as we receive more information. These are for communities that iBerkshires does not regularly cover.

Alford

Election: May 19, noon to 6 p.m., Alford Town Hall

  • Select Board member for 3 years- James Hall, Timothy John Ortwein 
  • Two Finance Committee members for 3 years- Peter Av Schoeffer, Charles Ketchen
  • Assessor for 3 years- Christopher Thomas Ortwein 
  • Planning Board for 3 years- incumbent Shirley Mueller 

Town meeting: Monday, May 12, 6 p.m., firehouse

Twelve articles: total budget of $1,526,291; transfer of $40,000 from free cash to stabilization; $150,000 from Alford Link enterprise fund to the Link stabilization fund and $449,700 to the operations budget; free cash transfer for kennel repairs, property value certifications and $130,000 for a pickup truck and trailer for the Fire Department; and a bylaw switching permitting authority for accessory buildings greater than 20 feet in heigh or 600 square feet from the Selectmen to the Planning Board. 
 
A special town meeting to vote on the Southern Berkshire Regional School District budget will be held in June.

Becket 

Election: May 16th, from 10 am to 7 p.m., Becket Town Hall

  • Select Board member for three years- Jeff Piemont
  • Town Clerk for 3 years- Robin C. Mathiesen
  • Moderator for 3 years- Ethan Klepetar
  • Finance Committee member for 3 years- Ellen Manley
  • Planning Board member for 5 years- Natasha Loeffler
  • Board of Health for 3 years- Robert T. Ronzio


Town meeting: May 9, 2 p.m. Becket Washington School

Twenty-four articles: total operating budget of $8,156,645; $612,791 to fund debt service, including on the Wahconah construction and renovation; transfer of $196,403 in free cash various projects, including $75,000 for a highway building feasibility study; free cash transfers of $465,000 for OPEB, $507,547 and highway stabilization; budget $764,910 for ambulance enterprise, with $250,000 coming from receipts; raise or borrow $608,000 for a 2026 Ford F550 4WD Ambulance and $103,570 for a 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe PPV4WD for the Police Department; and adoption of a local meals tax, property exemptions for veterans whose homes are in trusts, beer & wine license transfers to all-alcohol, and a municipal building advisory committee bylaw. 

Egremont
 
Election: Tuesday, May 12, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., North Egremont fire station
  • Selectmen: Judith Feinberg Goodman, one seat
  • Assessors: one-year and three-year terms, vacant
  • Moderator: Carissa Rice
  • Planning Board: Donna Bersch Gordon, one two-year term, and Stephen Kirk Lyle, one five-year term; associate: Blake Austin McDonald, one three-year term
  • Cemetery Commissioner: David D. Campbell, one seat
  • Library Trustee: Keila Wakeland Sheldon, one seat
  • Question 1: Proposition 2 1/2 override of $630,000 to fund the Southern Berkshire Regional School District
  • Question 2: debt exclusion of Prop 2 1/2 for first-responder and police vehicles
Town Meeting: Monday, May 5, 6 p.m. at Mount Everett High School
 
Update: all articles were approved
 
Twenty-nine articles: a total town budget of $5,352,432; school budget of $4,882,305; various articles for funding repairs to French Park and town cemeteries, tree removals, garden service, library painting, supplies and equipment, etc.; hiring of a fourth full-time fire responder at $65,000; hiring of a fifth full-time police officer at $88,200 and Police Academy training at $65,164; sums of $82,000 for a police vehicle and $105,000 for an emergency responder vehicle (both by secret ballot); shift Board of Assessors from elected to appointed; state designation as a "seasonal community"; and a resolution supporting changing the state flag and official seal. 
 
A special town meeting on the Southern Berkshire Regional School District budget and short-term rental bylaws will be held on Wednesday, June 24, at 6 p.m. at Mount Everett. 
 
Great Barrington 

ElectionTuesday, May 12, 2026, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., PRECINCTS A, C, AND D vote at Great Barrington Fire Station and PRECINCT B votes at the Housatonic Community Center. ?
  • Select Board member for 3 years- Benjamin Peter Elliott 
  • Moderator for 1 year- Michael Owen Wise
  • Board of Health member for 3 years- Ruby Chang
  • Two Finance Committee members for 3 years- Michelle Marie Loubert, Reo Matsuzaki, Mary Olivia Ramsey 
  • One Finance Committee member for 1 year- Jeffrey Rothenberg
  • Housing Authority member for 4 years- none 
  • Two Library Trustees for 3 years- Sharon Shaloo, Donna Withee Jacobs
  • Two Planning Board members for 3 years- Jonathan Bridgeman Hankin, Jaqueline Florence Kain 
Question: Should Great Barrington be allowed to assess an additional $2,000,000 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of funding the Town’s operating budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026?

Town meeting: Saturday, May 2, 2 p.m., Monument Mountain Regional High School.

Thirty articles: Total town budget of $16,345,834; $3,554,051 for wastewater treatment plant, $635,000 for wastewater enterprise fund, $$23,873,781 Berkshire Hills Regional School District assessment, $2,043,950 in capital spending, $327,777 for ambulance service, $500,411.44 capital spending from free cash, and seasonal communities designation. 

 
Hancock
 
Election: Monday, May 11, noon to 6 p.m., at the school
  • Selectman: incumbent Sherman L. Derby Sr. and Katherine Turner, one three-year term.
  • Moderator: incumbent Brian Fairbank
  • Finance Committee: incumbent Sharon Hyde, one seat
  • Planning Board: incumbent Sherman L. Derby Sr., one seat
  •  Board of Health: incumbent Wendy Kipp, one seat
  • Cemetery Commission: incumbent Donald Cassavaugh and one vacancy, two three-year terms
  • Library Trustee: incumbent Lydia Cassavaugh, one seat
  • School Committee: incumbent James Rodda, one seat
 
Town Meeting: Monday, May 4, 7 p.m. at the school
 
Update: all articles approved
 
Twenty-two articles: budget of $2.6 million, including  $1,800,217 for the school; various funding questions for maintenance, equipment, and supplies, including $5,350 toward the 250th anniversary celebration; and $20,000 for the town audit and $30,760 for a Lucas Chest Compression System for the Fire Department.
 
Lenox


Election: May 11, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Lenox Town Hall 

  • Moderator for one year- John J. McNinch 
  • Select Board for three years- William David Roche Jr.,  Max Scherff, Jared Weber.
  • Board of Health Member for three years- John R. Kearns 
  • Board of Assessor Member for three years- none 
  • Two School Committee Members for three years- Michael Dupont, Kim E. Graham,  R. Scott Sibley. 
  • School Committee Member for one year- Richard J. Burke, Stephanie Kluka. 
  • Planning Board Member for five years- none
  • Housing Authority Member for five years- Barbara J. Keenan


Town meeting: Thursday, May 7, 7 p.m., Lenox Memorial High School 

Seventeen articles: a total town budget of $12,428,605; school budget of $19,353,258; $3,101,675 for the sewer department, $1,635,369 for the water enterprise fund, and $1,097,783.00 for Community Preservation Fund projects. 

Lee 

Election: May 18, 2026, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m, Crossway Village Gym

  • Moderator for one year- Matthew Carlino 
  • Select Board member for three years- Sean James Regnier 
  • Three School Committee members for 3 years- Aaron Richard Aubin, Heidi M. Cooper, Nicole Lynn Kosiorek. 
  • School Committee member for one year- Ashley Blair Salvini 
  • Planning board for five years- David James Duval, Timothy Susse
  • Housing Authority for five years- none 


Town meeting: May 14, 7 p.m., Lee High School

Twenty-six articles: Total town budget of $25,570,872; school budget of $12,253,051, $1,186,409 for the water enterprise fund, $2,513,046 for the wastewater enterprise fund, including CPA appropriations, a bylaw for tax title payment plans, and $2.5 million for the Central Fire Station reuse. 

Monterey

Election: Tuesday, May 5, noon, town hall 

  • One Board of Appeals member for 3 years- Michael Banner
  • One Board of Assessors member for three 3 years- none 
  • One Board of Assessors member for two 2 years- incumbent Scott Steibel 
  • One Board of Assessors member for one 1 year- incumbent Teresa Steibel,
  • One Board of Health member for three 3 years- incumbent John Makuc
  • One Bylaw Review Committee member for three 3 years- Julia Thomas
  • One Cemetery Committee member for three 3 years- incumbent David Brown
  • One Finance Committee member for three 3 years- Seth Pitman
  • Two Library Trustees for 3 years- incumbent Judith Kaminstein, incumbent Samuel Reggio
  • One Moderator for one 1 year- incumbent Mark Makuc
  • One Park Commissioner for three 3 years- incumbent Amanda Chmielinski
  • One Park Commissioner for two 2 years- none 
  • One Planning Board member for five 5 years- incumbent Edward Allen
  • One Select Board member for three 3 years- Benjamin Reif-Caplan, Cara Tryon
  • One Tree Warden for one 1 year- incumbent Kevin Wes

Town meeting: Saturday, May 2, 9:30 a.m., Monterey Fire Company Firehouse

Eighteen articles: Total town budget of $4,507,456, including debt service, $58,179.33 from free cash to make additional principal payments, $157,955 from free cash for ambulance services, $31,000 from free cash to support the Lombardo Park Committee, and seasonal communities designation. 

Mount Washington 

Election: Tuesday, May 12, noon to 7 p.m., Town Hall

  • Select Board member for three years: incumbent Keith Torrico 
  • Town Clerk for one year: incumbent Linda Beckwith 
  • Treasurer for one year: incumbent Lesliann Furcht
  • Library trustee: for three years, incumbent Allison Giracca; two years, incumbent Nicole Torrico 
  • Constable for three years: incumbent David Whitbeck 
  • Moderator for one year: incumbent Brian Tobin 
  • School committee member for three years:  none 
  • Assessor for three years: none 
  • Planning Board member for five years: none 

Town meeting: Tuesday, May 5, 7:30 p.m, town hall

Fifteen articles: Total town budget of $1,029,408; $209,197 for the school budget; $51,000.00 in waste management fees, transfer of $200,000.00 from the highway equipment stabilization fund to outfit the new Freight Liner S-108 fwd cab and chassis, and transfer of $30,000 in free cash for town hall repairs.
 

New Ashford
 
Election: Tuesday, May 26, 2 to 4 and 6 to 8, Town Hall
  1. Select Board: incumbent Mark Phelps, one seat
  2. Planning Board: Mario Gagliardi, one seat
  3. Board of Health: Emily Gagliardi, one three-year term, vacant, one two-year term
  4. School Committee: incumbent Jen Welch, one seat
Town Meeting: Tuesday, May 19, 6 p.m. at the church
 
Otis
 
Election: Tuesday, May 26, from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm at Otis Town Hall in the gym.
  • Select Board member for 3 years- incumbent Gary Thomas 
  • Moderator for 1 year- David Sarnacki 
  • Tree Warden for 1 year- Derek Poirier 
  • Assessor for 3 years- William O’Brien 
  • Cemetery commissioner for 3 years- none 
  • Constable for 3 years- John (Jack) Conboy 
  • Finance Board for 1 year- Lisamarie D’Orazio 
  • Finance Board for 3 years- Thomas Burke, Ross Knowles 
  • Library trustee for 3 years- none 
  • Planning Board for 5 years- Wendy Lampro 
  • School Committee for 3 years- Denise Hardie 

Question: Should the town be allowed to exempt from the Proposition 2.5 the amount required to pay costs of designing, constructing, and furnishing a new library? 

Town meeting: Tuesday, May 19, 7 p.m., Farmington River Elementary School

Nineteen articles: a total town budget of $7,111,341, including $102,750 for the wastewater enterprise fund, $494,700 for the Otis Fire & Rescue enterprise fund, $144,337 in debt service, $430,801 in wind debt service, $211,750 in broadband debt service, $150,000 to repair the roof on town hall, $115,000 for a new police cruiser, $210,000 for a highway truck, and a proposed $9.3 million library construction project. 

Richmond
 
Election: Thursday, May 21, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Selectmen: incumbent Roger Manzolini, one seat
  • Board of Health: incumbent Katy Broggi and Laurence Cohen, two seats
  • Moderator: incumbent William Martin
  • School Committee: incumbent Ina Wilhem and Meghan St. John, two three-year terms; Megan Rose, one-year term
  • Planning Board: Peter Lopez, one seat
  • Library Trustee: incumbent Kathryn Wilson, one seat
  • Finance Committee: incumbent Robert Gniadek and Jeffrey Goldberg, two seats
  • Board of Health: vacancy, one two-year term
  • Prop 2 1/2 override vote: to raise an additional $250,513
Town Meeting: Wednesday, May 20, 7:30 p.m. at the school
 
Twenty-two articles: a total town budget of $8,829,487; school budget of $4,882,305; debt service, ambulance, and enterprise accounts; transfers from free cash, including $2,140 for prior bills and $60,000 for a public works truck;  appropriate $80,000 to create a stabilization fund for maintenance and repairs for town buildings; and accept state designation as a "seasonal community."
 
Question 1: Proposition 2 1/2 override of $250,513 (this must pass a town meeting and ballot vote)

Sandisfield

Election: Monday, May 18, noon to 7 p.m. at Old Town Hall

  • Select Board: Jeff Bye, running unopposed for a vacated one-year seat; Alex Russo and incumbent Steve Seddon, one three-year term. 
  • Town Clerk: Amanda Leavenworth and incumbent Douglas Miner.
  • Board of Assessors: Roger Brown, unopposed as a write-in candidate. 
  • Board of Health- John Boulais, incumbent Brigitte Ruthman
  • Library Trustees- incumbent Kathie Burrows 
  • Planning Board- Carol Garcia 
  • Moderator- incumbent Dominic Konstam

Town Meeting: Saturday, May 16, 10 a.m. at the fire station

Twelve articles: $4,093,457.04 budget, including $1,378,351.30 for the Farmington River Regional School District; creation of a Fire/EMS stabilization fund, to replace the ambulance fund, and which would receive half of all ambulance fees; creation of  911 Address revolving fund; $2,500 for a Knox Trail Historical Monument; $1,400.33 for past unpaid Verizon bills; and $300,000 in free cash, general stabilization and overlay surplus to reduce the tax levy.

Savoy 

Election: Wednesday, May 20, noon to 8 at Town Hall

  • Select Board: one three-year term
  • School Committee: one three-year term
  • Planning Board: one-year, three-year, four-year and five-year terms
  • Parks Commission: one-year and three-year terms
  • Assessor: two-year term
  • Cemetery Commission: two-year term
  • Constable: two-year term
  • Moderator: one-year term

Town meeting: 

Sheffield

Election:

Town meeting: Monday, May 4, 6:00 p.m., Mount Everett Regional High School

Twenty-seven articles:

Stockbridge 

Election:

Town meeting:

 

Tyringham 

Election:

Town meeting:

 

Washington 

Election:

Town meeting:

 

West Stockbridge 

Election: Monday, May 11, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., town hall gymnasium 

  • Moderator for 1 year- 
  • Select Board member for 3 years- 
  • Board of Assessor for 3 years- 
  • Two Finance Committee members for 3 years- 
  • One Planning Board member for 5 years-
  • One Board of Health member for 3 years-
  • One Library Trustee for 1 year-
  • One Library Trustee for 3 years-
  • One Cemetery Commissioner for 3 years-
  • One Tree Warden for 3 years-
  • Four constables for 3 years-

Town meeting:

Windsor

Election: Monday, May 11, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., town hall 

  • Moderator for 1 year-
  • Tree Wadren for 1 year-
  • Select Board member for 3 years- 
  • Constable for 3 years-
  • Finance Committee member for 1 year-
  • Finance Committee member for 2 years-
  • Two Library Trustees 3 years-
  • Library Trustee for 1 year-
  • Planning Board for 5 years-
  • MLP Board for 3 years-
  • MLP Board for 2 years-
  • Cemetery Commissioner for 3 years- 

Question: Should the elected Town Clerk become an appointed Town Clerk? 

Question: Should the elected Tree Warden become an appointed Tree Warden? 

Town meeting: Monday, May 4, 7 p.m., Town Hall



 

 

 

 

 

 

 








 
 
 

Tags: annual town meeting,   election 2026,   fiscal 2027,   


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Morningside Closed Friday for Flooding Cleanup

Staff Reports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Morningside Community School will be closed Friday, May 8, because of flooding in the building. 
 
According to a post on the Pittsfield Public Schools' Facebook page, a pipe that was damaged in a student bathroom caused a "large amount of water" to seep into carpets and other areas near the bathroom.
 
The post doesn't say how the pipe was damaged but that the flooding occurred shortly before dismissal on Thursday. 
 
Because of the water damaged, the school will be closed Friday so the affected spaces can be properly cleaned and dried.
 
The post states the school's custodial team will be preparing the building so students and staff can safely return on Monday, May 11, and that additional information will be posted as needed. 
 
All other schools will be open for regularly scheduled classes. 
 
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