Essex Select Board Approves FY27 Warrant Requiring Two Proposition 2½ Overrides

ESSEX -- March 23, 2026, Essex Select Board closes annual town meeting warrant with two override questions totaling $454,449. Finance Committee Chair Jody Harris presented a total FY27 operating budget of $24,541,614 at the March 23 board meeting, requiring a $268,722 Proposition 2½ override for the general town budget and a $185,727 override for the Manchester Essex Regional School District assessment. The single largest budget driver is the fire department, which is adding a full-time Fire Prevention Officer position at $90,000 to $120,000 and expanded daytime station staffing as the town moves toward a hybrid call-career model. The board declined to add a proposed fire department fee schedule to the warrant, with members expressing concern that new fees alongside two overrides would create a negative political dynamic ahead of the vote. Ballot language for both override amounts was set to be filed with the town clerk the following morning, locking in both figures. The board also unanimously raised the non-resident boat launching permit cap from 10 to 12 for 2026, generating a projected $12,000 in revenue.