West Newbury Town Meeting Votes to Ban Marijuana, Restore Full Library Budget

Town Meeting · Meeting of April 30, 2026

West Newbury town meeting approves $8.8 million FY2027 budget, votes to ban marijuana establishments. Residents at the April 30 annual and special town meeting defeated a Finance Committee proposal to cut the library's materials budget to $63,000, instead restoring it to the full $87,000 by a 114-48 margin after Library Board of Trustees Chair Fred Chinania warned the cut would risk loss of state certification. The meeting also voted by more than a two-thirds majority to prohibit all marijuana establishments in town under Article 19, a step that requires confirmation at Monday's May 4 ballot election, and simultaneously approved a marijuana overlay district as a fallback measure.

Energy and Sustainability Committee member Rick Parker successfully argued against a $22,000 HVAC unit replacement, the only capital article to fail, citing the Select Board's own 2050 decarbonization roadmap. Town Manager Angus Jennings, West Newbury's first, received a formal farewell from Select Board member Chris Weil, who credited Jennings with achieving a AAA bond rating and completing the Artichoke Reservoir Middle Street Bridge ahead of schedule and under budget.

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Source: the Town Meeting meeting of April 30, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.