Finance Panel Approves FY27 Pay Plan Overhaul

Finance Committee · Meeting of September 28, 2026

Tewksbury Finance Committee clears 20 warrant articles for the October 6 special town meeting, including a $125,000 pay-scale fix. Town Manager John Curran said a market study of 16 peer communities found non-union pay 15 to 17 percent behind market, affecting roughly 77 employees; the panel adopted the fix unanimously. A school department IT liaison identified only as Bridget warned a proposed surveillance-technology bylaw, aimed at license plate readers, could force costly audits and threaten the district's $3,500-a-year data-privacy consortium; the committee voted no recommendation on both related articles.

Superintendent Nancy Milligan said noncompliance with the state's MBTA Communities Act has cost the district roughly $300,000 in grants this year alone, part of a town-wide loss Curran put at $1.728 million. "We are looking at a deficit of continuation grants... about $300,000," Milligan said. Members also approved nearly $1.6 million combined in capital and utility transfers and a postcard-mailing bylaw change that passed with one dissenting vote.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 4,503 words

Source: the Finance Committee meeting of September 28, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.