STAFFORD FREE PRESS

Learn about next steps for the Witt School.

Learn about two rather low-key public hearings and the result.

A proposal designed to encourage affordable housing options moves to the next step.

Learn about what's next at the Witt School

Find out who will be impacted by the cuts and what happens once a Mill Rate is set.

A long discussion leads to a small reduction.

There isn’t typically much intrigue at a Board of Finance (BOF) meeting, but on May 28, 2026 we got as close to cloak and dagger as municipal board meetings get. Not during the meeting; that was filled with the usual transfers and discussions of year-to-date budget expenditures. No red flags were raised, but after the meeting was over, BOF Chair Steve Geryk found a letter addressed to him tucked under his nameplate. After the obligatory jokes about mysterious white powdery su

Learn the basics about your options for State Senate and House.

Learn how the schools plan to cover any shortfalls in this year's budget

More than halfway through watching the May 13, 2026, Board of Finance (BOF) meeting, I didn’t think there would be much to write about. Stafford Free Press already reported when the Board of Selectmen (BOS) and the Board of Education (BOE) approved their separate budget requests. This meeting was just a rehashing of that information. But then BOF member Dave Walsh started asking questions and Superintendent of Stafford Public Schools Scott Sugarman painted a picture of the re

BOS budget not represents a decrease from the previous year.

For months, Stafford’s Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) has been talking about ways to encourage more affordable housing development and at the May 7, 2026, meeting one of those solutions was formally on the agenda. The PZC is moving forward with steps to allow two-family dwellings in AA zones. Presently, only single-family dwellings are allowed in this zone, but the need for this change was outlined in the 2022 housing affordability plan. The commission is still wordsmit

Learn where the BOE will find $227,215 to cut from its budget request

Where will the cuts come from? No one knows just yet.

Follow the twists and turns of Stafford's 2026 Annual Town Meeting.

Why would the Town set a budget but not a Mill Rate?

Learn more about how an otherwise mundane BOF meeting turned heated.

Learn about the impact shared transfer station services could have on Stafford.

Learn how a budget can go up, while the amount of taxes collected goes down.

Stafford is gearing up for a public hearing regarding the 2026-2027 budget. If you’ve been following along for the past few months, you may already know what to expect. The Board of Education and Board of Selectmen have approved their respective budget proposals, and after they are officially presented at the hearing, the public will have the opportunity to ask questions. The Board of Finance will then discuss the proposals and the feedback before taking action. Explore the