Lexington Select Board Unanimously Approves FY2026 Budget and Conservation Restriction

LEXINGTON — February 14, 2025 — Lexington Select Board approves FY2026 budget 5-0, defers $2 million in capital spending. The board voted unanimously Friday morning to adopt the fiscal year 2026 recommended budget and financing plan, known as the "brown book," after a months-long process that included three financial summits and department-by-department hearings. Assistant Town Manager for Finance Carolyn Kosnoff told the board that the level-service budget exceeded available new revenue by roughly $600,000 to $700,000 before any program improvement requests were considered, leaving "the overwhelming majority" of PIR requests unfunded. A $2 million general-fund appropriation for the Harrington Fields project was deferred pending final design decisions, and updated MWRA assessments showed water costs rising 2.6 percent and sewer costs 2.3 percent. In separate 5-0 votes, the board approved a conservation restriction for the Community Preservation Act-funded Busa Farm and formally endorsed draft bill HD 4384 authorizing Lexington 10 additional wine and malt beverage licenses, a measure updated to add Fable Brewing at 94 Hartwell Avenue as a fourth eligible location. Outgoing member Joseph Pato called the budget vote "one of the single most important things the board does" and urged his successors to clarify whether a no-operating-override policy remains in force.