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.