The Annual Town Election is scheduled for April 25, 2026. Three current Select Board members have decided to leave the board.
Ken Coyle is running unopposed to fill the one-year seat. There are three candidates running for the two 3-year seats that are opening up.
Each week until the election, Abington News is asking the three residents for the two contested seats questions to help voters better understand them as candidates.
This week’s question was:
Let’s just get right into it. What are your thoughts on the upcoming override? Will you be voting yes for all options? A select few? None of them? And why?
Responses are unedited and provided in the order they were received.
Also, each candidates has already recorded an interview with AbingtonCAM Executive Director Kevin Tocci. They can be viewed here:
DANIEL EDDY
As a candidate for the Abington Selectboard, I appreciate the opportunity to speak directly and honestly about the upcoming override question that will come before Town Meeting on May 4 and before voters at the special election on May 16. This is not an abstract policy debate for me – it is about the real choices we face to keep our town’s essential services intact while staying true to fiscal responsibility.
First, let’s be clear about the situation. Like many communities on the South Shore, Abington is staring down a structural budget gap of roughly $3.6 million for fiscal year 2027 if we simply maintain the current level of services. Costs for health insurance, pensions, utilities, special education, and public safety overtime have continued to climb faster than our revenue streams. State aid – especially Chapter 70 education funding – has not kept pace with inflation or our actual needs. Residential property taxes make up the majority of our local revenue, and while we have had debt exclusions for specific projects, we have not had a general tax increase in years.
The Town Manager has laid out two paths: a “level-funded” budget that would require immediate, painful cuts across departments, or a Proposition 2½ override that would restore full level services through a menu of targeted ballot questions totaling approximately $3.625 million. Importantly, these departments do not operate in isolation. Underfunding the library can limit educational resources and community programs that support our schools. Police and Fire frequently respond to calls together, so shortchanging one directly strains the other. The same interconnected reality exists across public works, senior services, and public safety.
My thoughts on the override itself are straightforward: it is a necessary short-term tool to prevent service reductions that would harm our families, our seniors, our veterans, and our overall quality of life. I have served on the Finance Committee; I have sat through the budget hearings and seen the numbers. Level-funding sounds responsible on paper, but in practice it would mean eliminating school positions, reducing police presence, scaling back ambulance coverage, cutting Council on Aging programs, and trimming public works maintenance.
I want to urge voters – especially our senior residents who make up a significant portion of those attending Town Meeting – to support the Council on Aging override question. This is likely one of the highest-impact investments we can make in our community, helping to maintain vital programs and support for those who have given so much to Abington.
Will I be voting yes on all of the override options? Yes – I will vote yes on every single one. I will not pick and choose because our town’s services are too interconnected.
This full override buys us the breathing room to do the real work of long-term fiscal reform. I have been crystal clear: Abington relies too heavily on state funding, and persistent inflation plus town growth have driven costs higher. Once the override is in place, my priority as a Selectboard member will be three-year forecasting, aggressive expense control, and diversified revenue strategies. In particular, I am committed to reviewing and updating fees across departments that have not kept pace with costs – such as police detail fees for contractors, road opening permits, water tie-in fees, stormwater permits, and building-related fees. New development and contractors profiting from work in Abington should contribute a fairer share rather than placing the full burden on existing taxpayers. I have also advocated for switching health plans where feasible, rebidding contracts, encouraging composting, and mounting a coordinated campaign with our state representatives for fairer Chapter 70 funding.
I understand the real impact this override will have on taxpayers, particularly our seniors and those on fixed incomes. While I am fortunate to be at a stage in my life and career where this increase is manageable for my family, I am acutely aware that the same may not be true for many others. That is precisely why Town Meeting and the right of every resident to vote on these questions as individuals is so important. I respect that not everyone will be able to support the override, and I will listen to those concerns.
I encourage every Abington voter to attend Town Meeting, review the warrant articles, and speak with candidates and department heads. Whether you support the full override or have reservations, I hope you will consider me for the Selectboard. I am running to bring discipline, accountability, resident-first leadership to the board, and to work collaboratively with all residents for Abington’s long-term strength and affordability.
In summary, I support the full override because it protects the services that matter most while giving us the runway to implement sustainable changes. I will vote yes on every menu item, and if elected I will work hard alongside my fellow Selectboard members to ensure this is the last such override we ever need.
WILLIAM CORMIER
We could go back and forth all day on how or why we’ve been placed into this financial mess. However that isn’t going to be a very productive conversation since we already facing overrides and tough decisions for the future of Abington.. The answer is to start looking at the fix and not the cause. To me it’s more important to look at what is sustainable for our future. Although I never want to see layoffs or other cuts, the harsh reality is that over the next year we are really going to have to do a deep dive into all the budgets across the board if the overrides pass.
That said I will personally be voting for all the overrides across the board for this year. I think it’s important to maintain services we have in place until we can come up with realistic,reasonable and sustainable solutions. I promise you this if elected I will work with FinCom,Town Manager, Department heads and most importantly you the resident to figure out the answers for next year as this crisis will be looming for several years to come. The overrides aren’t the end all fix as it will only sustain us in the short term and we can’t afford to come back every year looking at the tax payers to continue to pony up.
If the overrides pass then we will really have to roll up our sleeves and get to work as we can’t afford to keep looking at overrides every fiscal year. We are going to have to make tough decisions that may be unpopular with some and ok with others. The fix isn’t going to be easy. I think with some creative thinking from all the stakeholders we can come together and make a plan for the future that works. I promise you this I will never support layoffs or cuts of critical services that would jeopardize the safety or well being of Abington or your families.
Once again I’d like thank Rick for taking the time for providing us a platform to bring our message to the voters. We are in for a rough few years and it’s important to remember that we are all in this together.
WENDY HAPPEL
I look at our town right now and I see a community at a crossroads. Young families, seniors on fixed incomes, and small businesses are all struggling to stay afloat. I wish I had an easy answer, but all I can offer you is my word and a plan to move us forward.
My Stance on the Override
I have never been a fan of Proposition 2 ½. I’ve always believed budgets should be managed efficiently enough to avoid burdening taxpayers. However, as a candidate for the Select Board, I need to look at the survival of our entire town. I will be voting yes for the override options this time because a ‘no’ vote could essentially dismantle our town.
A Call for Fiscal Compromise and Administrative Accountability
However, my support is not a blank check. The current school budget request is substantial, and I believe we need a meaningful fiscal compromise to make this more acceptable for taxpayers. I would like to see our School Department present a revised, reduced appropriation request before it ever reaches the floor for a Town Meeting vote. Specifically, we should prioritize cutting nonteaching administrative roles, such as assistant principals and central office positions before we ever touch a single classroom teacher. We need to ask our parents to come back to the classroom and include our senior population to volunteer for non-essential tasks as well as additional help with reading and writing while keeping our educators in front of students while protecting the paraprofessionals who support our special education population.
What is at Stake for Public Safety and Services
A ‘no’ vote could lead us straight into a public safety emergency. If parts of this override fail, our Police Department stands to lose six patrol officers, meaning our SROs will be pulled from our schools and our newly appointed detective in town is gone. We would be forced to take highpaid patrol officers off the streets to fill mandatory civilian roles like the Records Clerk and Desk Attendants and our part-time Firearms Clerk, which is a mandatory position, would be let go as well. We would also lose our part-time Animal Control Officer. Our Fire Department faces equally high stakes as we risk losing our second ambulance, and the lack of funding for equipment and training will put our first responders right at the edge. Beyond the sirens, other critical services are in jeopardy. A failed override for our COA threatens the transportation and meal programs that are lifelines for some seniors. Without funding, this vulnerable population we need to protect could be left isolated and hungry. We also owe our veterans more than just a thank you. Budget failures would mean reduced hours for the advocates who help our veterans navigate the VA system to secure the benefits our service members and their families earned and highly deserve.
My Commitment Regardless of the Outcome
I respect the taxpayers’ voice above all else. If the residents decide a Proposition 2 ½ override is not fit for Abington at this time, I will do everything in my power to ensure we come back from this as quickly as possible. I will work hard to help stabilize our departments and ensure our legislature and Governor hear my voice as I fight for the state aid and mandate relief our town deserves. Moving Forward We cannot keep asking residents for more money every few years. This mess isn’t just local. This is a failure of state leadership. If elected, I will lead a coalition of South Shore Select Boards to march on Beacon Hill. We need to testify in person at State Budget Hearings and demand relief from unfunded mandates and rising utility and healthcare costs that are sinking us.
My Plan for Accountability
To ensure we never get back to this point; I’m committed to the following pillars of accountability: Select Board Subcommittees Direct oversight to stay on top of every department’s role. We need subcommittees for Public Safety, DPW, School Department, and Human Services. This allows the Select Board to understand the details of each department and catch budget issues early.
Fiscal Advisory Committee
Restoring transparency and resident oversight to town spending. Bringing back this committee puts the eyes of the taxpayer back on the books. It acts as a watchdog to ensure efficiency and helps residents understand where every dollar goes.
Town Manager Evaluation
Holding leadership accountable to measurable performance standards. A formal evaluation system sets clear goals for the town’s administration, providing a transparent way to hold leadership accountable for budget targets.
MMA Participation
Connecting Abington to statewide resources and legislative power. Active participation in the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) is vital because it gives Abington a seat at the table where state policy is made. It allows us to lobby the Governor and Legislature as a united front with other towns, ensuring our voice is heard on issues like local aid and education funding.
Health Care & State Advocacy
Fighting for manageable plans and mandate relief. We need to negotiate fiscally sound health plan options with our unions and non-union employees to stop outrageous annual premium hikes. At the same time, we need to lead a South Shore coalition to lobby the State House for relief from all unfunded mandates.
Why choose me?
I have almost 15 years of advocacy under my belt. I’ve hosted forums with hundreds of people, joined debates across the state, I’ve spoken at rallies, been part of parent discussion groups, and I’ve successfully led and been part of the petition process at our town and state levels. I’ve been to Beacon Hill, and I’ve banged on those doors. I fought for this community long before I ever held an official title and I have the conviction to put our residents first; I also have the long-term vision to protect the services and families that make Abington our home.