Abington Select Board Candidates Clash Over Override Structure, Trash Costs

ABINGTON — April 10, 2026 — Three Abington Select Board candidates sparred over the town's Proposition 2.5 override and long-term budget strategy at an April 10 candidates' roundtable hosted by Abington Community Access and Media. Ken Coyle, running for the one-year seat, and Daniel Eddy and Wendy Happel, both seeking three-year terms, fielded 14 questions drawn from 25 submitted by residents; Bill Cormier, the fourth candidate, was absent due to an emergency. Coyle criticized the override's menu structure — which asks voters to approve separate departmental appropriations — as "very divisive," saying it pits town departments against each other and calling for a single consolidated figure in any future override. Eddy called for a three-year financial forecast across all departments, saying "it almost feels like it's a surprise every year and it really shouldn't be that way." On trash, Coyle argued that a $1.4 million sum previously approved by voters must remain earmarked for trash under any new contract arrangement, while Eddy said the contract should go out for competitive bid. All three candidates pledged a more transparent and accessible board, with Eddy predicting that "meeting times are going to change, the communication is going to change" with the new majority. Abington voters go to the polls Saturday, April 25, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.