Somerset Annual Town Meeting Warrant Cut to 22 Articles for May 30 Session

SOMERSET — May 23, 2026 — Somerset's annual town meeting will be held May 30 with a streamlined warrant of 22 articles, down from a typical count near 40. Board of Selectmen Chair Alan Smith and Town Administrator Mark Alucci previewed the warrant on the town's Somerset Showcase program, highlighting Article 13 — a consolidated capital spending article covering roughly 10 purchases funded through free cash, including a used bucket truck at up to $46,000, PFAS-free firefighting gear, snowplow and brine trucks, and seed money for a future fire truck. A $3.5 million wastewater treatment plant improvement article and a $1.5 million clarifier repair — funded through Water and Sewer Commission retained earnings — are the largest single items. Two citizen petition articles, Articles 22 and 23, would compel the Water and Sewer Commission to seek a one-year EPA permit extension and hold a public meeting comparing the current compliance plan against a proposed Fall River regional sewer partnership. A non-monetary article would ban cryptocurrency ATMs in town after Somerset police reported a pattern of fraud targeting seniors.