The Kingston Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, April 22. Kingston Police Department Detective/Lieutenant Mike Skowyra, who oversees tactical and firearm training, presented before the Selectmen regarding a firearm’s training request. Skowyra explained that there was a need for a range due to the necessity of firearms annual qualification and training as well as less lethal shotgun training and taser training. He said that they have had to utilize range space from other towns/departments which creates scheduling issues as well as other problems. He said that another alternative would be to pay to use private gun ranges in the area. “If we were to build this range in the proposed space… we currently anticipate… really no additional cost,” Skowyra said. He did note that there could be a potential for a $1,000 cost to bring in an excavator. He also noted that if they had to fire lead-free ammo, there would be a slight increase in cost which would equate to about $250-$500 per year.

Regarding site selection, Skowyra said that they had a number of restrictions to contend with, including being prohibited from being 500 ft from a residence and 150 ft from a roadway. The site is also not allowed on conservation property or within wetlands. He said that left them with one viable property – the waster water and transfer station property. Skowyra did note that they planned to do most of the activity on the range while the transfer station is closed.

Skowyra acknowledged that residents would be able to hear the gunshots. Selectman Kimberley Emberg was unable to attend but did pass her concern along to Selectmen Chair Eric Crone to share. Crone said that both he and Emberg felt that there should be a public hearing available to residents within a certain radius that may be affected by the noise. Town Administrator Keith Hickey said that could be setup. Crone said that while he supported the public hearing, it was a “noisy area” regardless including noise from the nearby train station. The public hearing is scheduled for May 6 and maps are available on the town website.

The Selectmen also held a public hearing for a street acceptance for Timber Ridge and Sequoia Dr.

Hickey said, “these two roads are in such good shape and new, the need to have the initial review to determine what improvements need to be made, doesn’t need to happen.” Hickey said that if they received 90 percent of signatures from the homeowners, they might be able to bring it before the town at the fall town meeting. Crone said that it doesn’t cost the town anything in the immediate to accept the streets but noted that it meant in the future they would be responsible for upkeep. Crone asked if any of the affected residents didn’t want the roads accepted and was told “everyone has been positive so far.” The Selectmen voted to approve the request from 34 South St. Homeowner’s Association Trust to move to the next step in the road acceptance policy.

Crone said they had a request to reduce the number of available razor clam licenses which previously had been set at 11 licenses annually. He said that the Board asked the Shellfish Constable to establish a minimum number of shellfish to be harvested by each license holder to maintain their license from the previous year. The Shellfish Constable, however, was not recommending a minimum as there is no waiting list for licenses now. The current Harbormaster and Shellfish Constable is requesting that the licenses be reduced to nine; there are currently nine license holders and no waiting list. The Selectmen voted to approve the renewal of the nine razor clam licenses through June 30, 2026. The license fee was set at $300 and the number of licenses was reduced to nine.

The Board took up whether to allow early voting for the annual town election. Hickey told the Selectmen that the Town Clerk was requesting they not approve early voting for the annual election in May. The Selectmen voted unanimously to support no early voting.
Crone told his fellow Selectmen that they had a request to refinance an affordable living unit. “The owners of the property at 27 Bog View Rd. purchased the property through an affordable living unit lottery through the Office of Housing and Living Communities,” Crone said. The Board approved the request to refinance the property with a few stipulations.

The Board also voted to approve a one-year employment contract with Deputy Fire Chief Adam Hatch.

Before adjourning, Hickey provided some updates including several Fire Department grants. A grant was awarded in the amount of $4k for student awareness of Fire education, $2,200 for senior awareness of Fire Education, and $4,554 for firefighter safety equipment. The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs has also awarded Kingston a $44,000 grant to update the town’s Housing Production Plan and Housing Needs Assessment.

Justin Evans
Express correspondent
Halifax is grappling with significant budget constraints for fiscal year 2026, with town officials projecting minimal new growth and substantial increases in education costs.
Town Administrator Cody Haddad presented the fiscal year 2026 budget overview during a recent Finance Committee budget forum, highlighting the challenges facing the town.
“What we saw for fiscal 26 was we have little to no growth in Halifax anticipated for the year,” Haddad says. “We’re confident we’re not going to get $100,000 in new growth for fiscal 26.”
The town is projecting only $75,000 in new growth for the upcoming fiscal year, a dramatic decrease from the more than $300,000 seen five years ago. This decline in growth significantly impacts Halifax’s ability to fund services and capital projects.
Education costs represent the largest increases in the town’s operating budget. Halifax Elementary School’s budget is increasing by 11.63%, amounting to $793,675, while Silver Lake’s assessment is rising by 5.6%, or $455,530.
To balance the budget amid these challenges, town officials plan to use $745,000 in free cash to subsidize the operating budget, despite recommendations against this practice from the financial team.
“That was not recommended by myself and our financial team,” Haddad explained. “The town relies on the free cash to fund capital items, and without that, we would not be funding all of our capital items. It also creates a fiscal cliff in fiscal 27.”
The total recommended budget for fiscal year 2026 stands at $31,380,584. Town departments, including public safety, general government, and highway, make up 26.4% of the total operating budget. Insurance and benefits account for 12.6%, while the elementary school represents 24.27% and Silver Lake comprises 27.36%.
In addition to using free cash, the town is implementing various cost-cutting measures. These include removing a new ambulance, a police cruiser, and repairs to the blacksmith shop from the capital plan. Staffing reductions will affect the administration and Selectman’s office, building maintenance, and the library.
Halifax Elementary School has also had to make several reductions from its initially requested budget.
The town’s revenue picture shows the tax levy accounting for 65% of total revenues at $20,401,342. Local receipts, including motor vehicle excise tax, marijuana income, and meals tax, are estimated at $2.731 million, representing 8.7% of revenues. State aid is projected at $4.861 million, or 15.5% of revenues.
Haddad notes that state aid, particularly around education, is not being provided at appropriate levels. “We’re not being reimbursed or given the aid at levels that we should be,” he says.
Fixed costs are also putting pressure on the budget. Plymouth County retirement is increasing by nearly 8%, amounting to $150,000, while group insurance for health coverage is rising by 8%, adding almost $100,000 to expenses.
Public safety departments are maintaining essentially flat budgets from fiscal year 2025 to 2026, with some line-item adjustments. The police department is seeing savings due to senior officers retiring and being replaced by new officers at lower rates.
The town is also facing new expenses, including required PFAS testing for the town-owned landfill. This testing will cost approximately $10,000 annually for the foreseeable future.
“We were notified by DEP in late 2024 that we were going to have to start conducting this PFAS testing,” Haddad explains. “We had not previously been required to do that.”
Another notable increase is in the Veterans Agent salary, which is rising by $11,500 to meet state requirements. The state recently mandated that veterans’ agents must work at least 20 hours per week to maintain accreditation for processing veterans’ claims.
The legal account is increasing by $30,000 due to anticipated litigation regarding MBTA zoning compliance issues and upcoming negotiations with five of the town’s seven unions.
Haddad emphasized that unlike households, municipalities have limited flexibility in reducing costs. “Unlike at home, where if you want your heating bill to be a little bit lower because you need to penny pinch a little bit this month, you can turn down your thermostat and throw on a sweatshirt… We don’t have that flexibility within a municipality.”
The town plans to hold another budget forum on May 5, a week before town meeting, to provide residents with additional information and answer questions about the fiscal year 2026 budget.