Lexington Select Board unanimously elects Hay as chair, Pato as vice chair

LEXINGTON — May 12, 2025 — Lexington Select Board unanimously elected Jill Hay as chair and Joe Pato as vice chair, both effective July 1, 2025. Both votes passed 5-0 at the May 12 meeting, capping an agenda heavy with high school construction finance and labor tension. Public Facilities Director Mike Cronin told the board the $662 million high school project will submit its schematic design to cost estimators June 4, with a November special town meeting and December debt exclusion vote on the horizon; an MSBA reimbursement of roughly $100 million and MassSave rebates of approximately $9 million are factored in, but Inflation Reduction Act credits remain uncertain. Rob Green, president of Lexington Firefighters Local 1491, accused town leadership of disrespecting firefighters by cutting paychecks days after the Lex 250 celebration weekend; Town Manager Steve Bartha disputed the characterization and noted the union has filed an unfair labor complaint and a wage-theft lawsuit. Budget Officer Rosalyn Impink reported the town's investment income is tracking at 338 percent of budgeted amounts through the third quarter of fiscal year 2025, with overall finances described as "in really solid shape."