Stow Select Board Approves Town Meeting Warrant and Firefighter Contract

STOW — April 14, 2026 — Stow Select Board unanimously approved its 2026 Annual Town Meeting warrant and ratified a three-year firefighter contract at the April 14 meeting. The board voted to ratify the collective bargaining agreement with the Stow Professional Firefighters Association, Local 3262, running July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, which includes a first-year base wage bump to bring firefighter salaries closer to the regional median and 4 percent increases in each of the two following years; a $40,000 turnout gear replacement for the union's seven members goes before town meeting separately. Town Administrator staff reported a final snow and ice deficit of $326,928.95, to be addressed through a Free Cash transfer article, and announced a $150,000 climate leader grant for engineering work at Hale and Center schools. The FY27 budget carries a net 4.22 percent increase, with the municipal side up 5.94 percent driven largely by a salary reclassification approved at last fall's town meeting. Staff also warned that a pending state proposal to eliminate excise tax registry marking could jeopardize up to $1.2 million in annual revenue — roughly three times Stow's state aid.