Duxbury Town Meeting voters approved a tax override Saturday after town officials argued the additional revenue is needed to support schools, public safety and other town services, but the final decision still rests with voters at the ballot box later this month.
The override was presented as part of the fiscal 2027 budget process, with officials describing it as a scaled-down proposal shaped by the defeat of a larger override request last year. Speakers said the new plan was more targeted and focused on what they viewed as the town’s most immediate needs.
Finance Committee Chair Betsy Sullivan said the financial articles before voters reflected nearly two years of work after growing concern in 2024 about whether Duxbury could continue to fund essential services at the level residents expect.
“As you know, that override did not pass at the ballot,” Sullivan said, noting that the failed proposal forced officials to return with a different approach. “We heard clearly what matters to most of our residents, and we were challenged to return with a solution that is focused and responsive to community concerns,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan said the new override proposal was about one-third the size of last year’s request and concentrated on “public safety, education, cost effective staffing adjustments, and critical facility and infrastructure maintenance.” She also stressed that Town Meeting’s action was only one step in the process.
“I encourage you to take out your phone and enter into your calendar that March 28th is ballot day,” Sullivan said. “And however you feel about this initiative, go to the ballot and vote.”
Speaking on behalf of the Select Board, Clerk Fernando Guitart described the override as a focused request tied to core municipal functions rather than a broader expansion of services.
“This is not an easy decision,” Guitart said. “There will be a cost to us as residents of this town, and like all of us, we do not like paying more in taxes, but we, the select board, can say with confidence and unanimity that this request is fiscally responsible.”
Guitart said the town portion of the proposal included staffing and operational support aimed at pressure points across government. He said the public safety additions were intended to fill open shift vacancies in the police and fire departments, reduce the need to call staff back on days off, lower overtime pressure and rely less on mutual aid. He also said the beach operations position would help improve access for residents and visitors, while another request would help support operations at the new Department of Public Works building.
For the schools, Guitart said the override would restore two elementary classroom teachers and one district technology director, while also allowing the district to implement universal full-day kindergarten and maintain current staffing levels.
Superintendent Danielle Klingaman said school leaders approached this year’s budget with a narrower request after absorbing the consequences of last year’s failed override.
“So today we are not asking to restore the 18 plus positions that were eliminated in the FY26 budget,” Klingaman said. “We approached this year’s budget with a very conservative outlook. We are requesting the most essential needs after assessing the impact of last year’s reductions.”
Klingaman said the school budget request was designed to preserve core services while responding to changing demands in public education.
“The challenges of public education today are unprecedented,” Klingaman said. “Schools are vastly different than when many of us went to school.”
Town officials repeatedly emphasized that even with Town Meeting approval, the override will not take effect unless voters back it at the election. The question now heads to the March 28 ballot, where Duxbury residents will make the final call on whether the town can collect the additional revenue.
The annual town election is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Lieutenant Timothy Steele Athletic Building on St. George Street, where voters will decide whether to give the override final approval.