Plymouth Select Board Rejects Finance Committee Budget Hikes, Moves to “Force the Debate” at Town Meeting

PLYMOUTH — March 31, 2026 — In a strategic pivot toward fiscal constraint, the Plymouth Select Board voted unanimously to strip a $213,000 IT budget increase previously added by the Advisory and Finance Committee (Fincom). The decision highlights a growing rift between the two bodies over how to manage the town’s tightening finances while still advocating for critical capital improvements, including a contested $220,000 lighting project for the Training Green and a nearly $163,000 police parking lot repair.

The Full Story

The meeting, chaired by Vice-Chair Richard Quintal in the absence of Chair David Golden, was dominated by a review of the upcoming Town Meeting warrant. The central conflict emerged over Article 7, which deals with the town’s operating budget. While Fincom had voted to add $213,000 to the Information Technology budget for two new full-time positions, Select Board members expressed discomfort with increasing the budget during a “fiscal crunch.” [01:14:13]