Abington Finance Committee Sets $3.4 Million Override Ballot Amounts in 5-2 Vote

ABINGTON -- March 18, 2026, Abington Finance Committee votes 5-2 to set $3.4 million in override amounts across seven town departments. The committee approved ballot figures totaling $3,413,020 at its March 18 meeting, with the school department receiving the largest share at $1,622,114, followed by police at $875,486, and smaller amounts for town hall, fire, DPW, library, and Council on Aging. The vote was solely to set figures for the ballot printer ahead of an upcoming town election; a vote on whether to formally recommend the override will come separately. Failure of the school override would trigger the elimination of 28.1 full-time equivalent positions; failure of the police override would cost the department six officers. A majority of committee members conducted a straw poll in favor of asking the Select Board to reconsider placing a per-household trash fee on the town meeting warrant, a move that the town accountant said could reduce the override need from $3.4 million to roughly $2 million, but Town Administrator Robert Maresco said he did not expect the board to reverse course, noting the fee failed by approximately 55-45 at last year's town meeting.