Natick’s 2026 Fall Annual Town Meeting, slated to begin on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 7:30pm at Kennedy Middle School Auditorium, features 17 articles covering topics ranging from the budget to bylaw updates to citizen petitions on snow removal and embracing diversity.
The articles are collected in a warrant that has been published, and each article will have one or more motions under it that elected Town Meeting members will vote on (while article language is filled with “whereas” and “thereon” gibberish, motion language makes clearer what the articles are really about).
Town Meeting serves as Natick’s legislative branch and includes up to 180 members, with up to 18 from each of 10 precincts. For those who don’t track town government closely, note that Natick has many “town meetings” throughout the year, from Select Board to Planning Board sessions, official “Town Meeting” takes place in the spring and fall, and an occasional “Special Town Meeting” can be sprinkled in as needed.
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The first batch of articles this fall are all financial-related, and will be getting a full vetting from Natick’s appointed Finance Committee ahead of Town Meeting. This includes the omnibus budget, unpaid bills, and stabilization funds, the latter of which has become the subject of increased discussion in recent years. The capital equipment funding article, #6, can be of some extra interest, with show-and-tell photos often included of cool gear the town may be purchasing.
New this time around, with Article 5, is a proposal to establish a revolving fund to “utilize monies from low income community shared solar projects to subsidize the electricity costs of income-eligible customers through the Town’s municipal aggregation program.”
Lilja Elementary SchoolSustainability is also the theme for Article 7, which seeks funding for “feasibility study and schematic design costs related to a heat pump conversion project at Lilja Elementary School.”
Article 8 marks the second round of Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding requests—this stash comes from a 1% property tax surcharge, plus some matching state contributions. Requests this fall include $1,243,50 to fund construction of South Natick Park renovations along the Charles River where the spillway is being removed. The town tried to get this funding from the state, but failed in that bid, so had a CPA funding request as its backup plan. Other CPA requests pertain to digitizing and preserving historic photos ($37,500), a Cochituate Rail Trail connector from the Modera housing development and establishment of a native garden ($42,375), and Murphy Park improvement planning ($150,000).
Articles 9 through 13 are about cleaning up or revising town and zoning bylaws, including one that has to do with “indecent or profane language” and another regarding permitted non-residential uses within residential mixed-use developments.
Town Meeting members will also have a chance to hear updates from the Hybrid Town Meeting Committee exploring ways to modernize Town Meeting and from the Natural and Synthetic Turf Field Study Group.
The warrant wraps up with citizen petitions—those filed by individuals rather than town bodies—on sidewalk snow removal and recognizing diversity/promoting harmony.
While only Town Meeting members can vote at Fall Annual Town Meeting, anyone can attend.
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