Town Administrator Scott Lambiase delivered the first detailed look at the fiscal 2027 budget picture at the April 21 Board of Selectmen meeting, telling the board the state has certified Kingston’s free cash at $3.1 million. He called the certification a critical figure for shaping decisions on roughly $1.4 million in capital requests, snow-and-ice capital leases, and supplemental department requests.
Updated cherry-sheet numbers arrived earlier the same day and brought no significant change. Lambiase reported a roughly $116,000 increase in education aid, a $42,000 decrease in unrestricted government aid, and a $72,000 reduction in state assessments — leaving Kingston “basically flat from the last budget” without the help officials had hoped for.
Lambiase flagged two potential revenue developments. The vendor approved to install an electronic billboard on Cranberry Road has cleared a five-year state Department of Environmental Protection review and could generate approximately $150,000 a year for the town, though the project still needs Conservation Commission approval before site work, including tree removal, can proceed. Town meeting voters first authorized the Cranberry Road billboard in 2020, Vice Chair Kim Emberg noted. Separately, the town continues to work with Eversource on a parcel adjacent to the Pembroke Street fire headquarters that has been eyed as a potential future police station site, though Lambiase said Eversource has its own long-term plans for the property and the arrangement may not work out.
Chair Eric Crone, attending remotely, asked about federal reimbursement for snow-and-ice costs. Lambiase said the request has been submitted to FEMA at the governor’s request but cautioned that any award would likely cover about 75 percent of eligible costs and would not arrive for “a couple of years” — and probably “more towards years” than months.
The June 6 annual town meeting will carry roughly 38 articles, Lambiase said, most of them housekeeping. He described the operating budget under preparation as a “level service” budget, with the Finance Committee meeting Thursday to finalize recommendations.
Kingston selectmen voted to approve a two-year extension of Police Chief Brian Holmes’ employment agreement, locking in department leadership for what will become a five-year tenure. The vote was 4-0-1, with Selectman Missy Bateman abstaining.
Holmes thanked the board with brief remarks at the podium. “Two years has gone by in a blink,” he said, calling Kingston “a great town, great workforce” and describing the position as “the best career choice I’ve ever made,” 40-minute commute and all. He told the board the department has engaged in recent training and is preparing for additional work ahead.
Emberg moved approval of the agreement as presented. Selectman Carl Pike said he had reviewed the final document and that it incorporated everything the board had discussed during negotiations.
The board’s only divided vote came on a request from Andrea Cunningham, an administrative assistant in the Town Clerk’s office, for permission to work the May 16 election. Cunningham’s husband, Joseph Cunningham, is a candidate for the Board of Selectmen, creating a financial interest tied to the position’s stipend.
Cunningham’s disclosure form, submitted under G.L. c. 268A § 19, listed restrictions on her election-day duties: setup and breakdown, filling in at voter check-in tables during worker breaks, logging hourly ballot-box totals in the clerk’s book, and food setup. She would not count or tally votes, and she would defer her usual responsibility for checking the ballot drop box to another worker.
Pike opposed the appointment. “I was brought up in the defense industry where any kind of a conflict, even the appearance of a conflict, is just as bad as the conflict itself,” he said. He argued she should not work this single election while her husband is on the ballot.
Emberg disagreed, pointing to the limits in the disclosure form. “There are things that are related to the elections that have nothing to do with the ballots, like setting up food, setting up tables,” she said. “It’s very clear that there are things unrelated to ballots that are part of the election duties that she could potentially do.”
The board approved the disclosure 4-1, with Pike opposed. Because Crone was attending remotely, Emberg as vice chair was authorized to sign the determination on behalf of the board.
Will Cushman of Main Street used the open forum to flag uneven sidewalks on the Route 3 overpass, describing sections that are sinking on both sides of the bridge and creating what he called a tripping hazard. He acknowledged the location may fall under state rather than town jurisdiction. Emberg directed residents seeking road or sidewalk repairs to the Highway Department’s Request Tracker on the town’s website. Cushman also encouraged residents to contact the Selectmen’s office about open seats on the Commission on Disability.
The annual town election is Saturday, May 16, at Kingston Elementary School. The annual town meeting is Saturday, June 6, at Kingston Intermediate School.