Bourne Select Board Leans Toward Level-Service Budget Requiring Override

Select Board · Meeting of August 18, 2026

Bourne Select Board signals a fiscal 2028 override is likely as budget gap looms. Town Administrator Marlene McCollem told the board a level-service budget "will not be balanced" without new revenue, after years of maxed-out revenue estimates; department budgets are due November 16 ahead of a January presentation. Clerk Mary Jane Mastrangelo said "we have to be prepared once a budget is presented to us to be able to prioritize," while Chair Melissa Ferretti noted 53 Massachusetts municipalities put 58 override questions on ballots in the last cycle.

Earlier, residents Rich Russell and Scott Meyer pressed the board on fire and EMS staffing after an August boat fire left a burned victim waiting roughly 30 minutes for an ambulance. The board also voted unanimously that it lacks authority to approve a proposed Champions pre-K lease at Bournedale Elementary, pending a legal opinion, and unanimously approved a conservation restriction on 16.79 acres at 53 MacArthur Boulevard.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 4,309 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of August 18, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.