Select Board leaves Walker's seat vacant until 2027

Select Board · Meeting of August 11, 2026

Newbury Select Board left member Geoffrey Walker's seat vacant through May 2027 rather than fund a special election. The board, chaired by William DiMaio, voted unanimously to save an estimated $10,000 after Vice Chair Alicia Greco said municipal elections cannot share a ballot with the state primary or midterm. Separately, the board backed a "50/50 model" for Whittier Regional School District capital costs, which DiMaio said would cut Newbury's projected share from $8.6 million to about $5.75 million, calling it "a significant savings to the towns." The board also accepted a $455,619.97 MassTrails grant for the Border to Boston trail and an $80,000 traffic safety award for Boston Road and Route 1, appointed William Graham as a part-time police officer, and approved 69 total short-term rental licenses.

Member Patrick Heffernan pushed back on social media claims of a $13,000 per-resident Triton school tax impact, saying no cost figures yet exist.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,001 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of August 11, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.