Select Board suspends FY27 budget hearing, schedules continuation.
Ipswich Select Board halts FY27 budget review, citing unprepared members. Chair Charles Surpitski and Vice Chair Michael Dougherty led a unanimous vote to suspend the hearing after Linda Alexson objected that materials were incomplete and distributed late. Finance Director Catherine Gabriel, Chief
Select Board (Formerly Board of Selectmen) · Meeting of February 12, 2026
Ipswich Select Board halts FY27 budget review, citing unprepared members. Chair Charles Surpitski and Vice Chair Michael Dougherty led a unanimous vote to suspend the hearing after Linda Alexson objected that materials were incomplete and distributed late. Finance Director Catherine Gabriel, Chief Assessor Mary-Lou Ireland, Treasurer Kevin Merz, Town Clerk Andrea Pappalimberis, and new IT Director CJ Kanouff presented departmental overviews; Dougherty asked Ireland to clarify the $20,000 annual cost of newly implemented assessment software and expressed frustration with the IT Department's email and meeting-room technology systems.
The Board rescheduled the budget hearing to February 25 and scheduled two additional hearings on February 23 and February 24.
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Source: the Select Board (Formerly Board of Selectmen) meeting of February 12, 2026, compiled from the official minutes.
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