Lexington Select Board approves maximum tax shift, sets 2026 Town Meeting for March 30

LEXINGTON — November 17, 2025 — Lexington Select Board unanimously holds maximum commercial tax shift and sets Annual Town Meeting for March 30, 2026. The board voted 4-0 Monday to set a residential factor of 0.891 to achieve the maximum 1.75 tax shift for fiscal year 2026, declining again to adopt a residential or small commercial exemption. Assistant Town Manager for Finance Jennifer Koznoff confirmed a residential exemption would require at least a year of lead time and likely one or more additional assessor's office staff to process applications from roughly 10,000 residential parcels. Town Manager Steve Bartha announced two new equity officer positions will begin December 1: Winyuku Buchanan as Clinical Engagement and Community Equity Officer and Lucian Burke Fournier as Assistant HR Director and Internal Equity Officer. The board approved the sixth edition of the town's Tree Management Manual, which adds a quick-start guide for builders and new Freeman maple cultivars to the large shade tree list. A two-year goals document was discussed at length but not formally adopted, with the fiscal stability section sent back for drafting after the board declined to act without the absent fifth member, Venita Kumar.