There is only one item for Paxton voters to consider at the September 8 special town election: whether to approve an additional $550,100 for the 2026 fiscal year that began July 1. The ballot question details how these monies would be allocated to the town’s departments and programs.

This September election is a result of an article amendment that was offered by Paxton resident Karl Ottmar at the June 16 town meeting and approved by voters that night. The law requires that a budget override must pass both a town meeting and a special election.

In May, voters defeated a $1.13 million proposed override, which impacted town services and departments. As Ottmar explained to voters at the June 16 meeting, he came up with the new override amount of $550,100 by taking the fiscal year 2025 budget and adding .5 percent. “I choose to see this as an investment in Paxton,” he told voters. “A point five percent increase is still really a cut to the departments, but it’s like cutting with a scalpel, not cutting with a hatchet.”

If the September election question passes, it would mean an increase in town real estate taxes for each homeowner of approximately $324.27 per year. The then-town administrator Heather Munroe cited this amount based on the average single-family Paxton home that is assessed at $506,668.  If the ballot is defeated, the town would retain the budget that was approved for fiscal year 2026.

The special town election will be held Monday, September 8, from 10 am – 8 pm at Paxton Center School, 19 West Street.