Belmont Warrant Committee Backs $500,000 Teachers Contract Payment, Chenery Roof Fund

BELMONT -- May 27, 2026, Belmont Warrant Committee votes to back $500,000 in one-time teacher contract payments and $1.3 million for the Chenery roof ahead of June Town Meeting. Meeting on May 27, the committee voted 12-0 with two abstentions to recommend favorable action on Article 31, appropriating $500,000 in one-time free cash payments tied to the newly settled Belmont teachers contract and $25,000 for town clerical units; School Committee Finance Subcommittee Chair Amy Zuccarello reported a projected FY26 district deficit of approximately $480,000, offset in part by a potential $244,000 state circuit breaker reimbursement increase and a $100,000 town expense contribution. The committee voted 14-0 to transfer $1.3 million in free cash to the capital stabilization fund for a future Chenery Middle School roof replacement. A vote on Article 36, authorizing acquisition of a private Belmont Hill sewer system at an undetermined cost, was deferred pending appraisal figures, with Chair Paul Richter warning a special pre-Town Meeting vote could be needed as early as the days before the June 3 Special Town Meeting. Members declined to take positions on the site plan review, construction management, and common sewer bylaw articles, finding their financial implications too limited to warrant a stance.