Stow Select Board Sets May 9 Town Meeting Date, Approves Police Policies

STOW -- January 13, 2026, Stow Select Board ratifies town meeting date, backs special legislation fix, and approves town administrator raise. The board set the 2026 Annual Town Meeting for Saturday, May 9 at the Center School and opened the warrant, which will close March 25. In the most consequential action of the evening, members unanimously approved asking the governor to file special legislation ratifying the October 27, 2025 Special Town Meeting, where the warrant was posted 11 days ahead rather than the legally required 14, a technicality that could otherwise threaten the validity of that meeting's votes, including on MBTA Communities zoning. Town Administrator Denise Dembkoski's contract was renegotiated in executive session, with the board approving salaries of $205,000 for FY27, $215,000 for FY28, and $225,000 for FY29, $5,000 per year above what Dembkoski had requested, citing market comparisons showing her counterparts in other towns earn $30,000 to $40,000 more. The board also unanimously approved updates to Police Policies 4.08 and 4.12 and new Policy 4.38, which formally codified fingerprinting practices already in use, and voted to designate the town website as the official bulletin board for committee vacancies.