Swampscott held its Town Meeting on Monday, and ten articles were voted on. Here’s a look into what happened. 

Article No. 1

Town Meeting Members approved to authorize the payment of bills totalling $11,735.54. The invoices varied from legal notices, a fire hose, auto insurance, mattress recycling and July 4 trophies.

“This is routine,” said Finance Committee Member Gregory McDonald. “It comes up every Town Meeting. It’s just bills that come in after the fiscal year.”

Article No. 2

Article No. 2 was unanimously approved to adjust the fiscal year 2026 budget, by decreasing the compensation line for the now-vacant director of finance and administration position by $50,000. That money will be allocated to the consultant line by the same amount. There will also be an increase to the property and casualty insurance line by $43,000, which will be offset by decreasing the workers compensation line by the same amount. 

“This is routine shuffling of the 2026 budget,” McDonald said. 

Article No. 3

This article was postponed due to no collective bargaining agreements at this time. 

Article No. 4

Town Meeting members approved for $26,292 from the reimbursement funds to be transferred to the school department. The town received the money as a reimbursement from the state for a portion of the school’s expenses. The money is paid into the town’s general fund, and “the town just wants to transfer it back to the schools,” Finance Committee Member Naomi Dreeben said. 

Article No. 5

Article No. 5 was approved, rescinding a vote taken in May which had approved to transfer $400,000 from the free cash to the special education reserve fund. The special education funds however, would have exceeded the statutory limit had the transfer taken place. 

Treasurer Patrick Luddy shared that the special education reserve fund had $438,980 in it as of June 30, 2025, which does not include the $400,000 that would have been transferred from the May Town Meeting.  

The limit for the special education fund is “slightly over $700,000, which is 2% of the school spending,” Luddy said.  

Article No. 6

Town Meeting Members approved a transfer of $94,864 to the special education reserve fund instead.

“Appropriating this $94,864 would keep up below the limit and keep true to the MOU between the town and the school department,” Luddy said. 

Article No. 7

The vote approved taking $720,000 of the surplus money from the town general fund operation to offset the tax levy for the 2026 fiscal year.

Article No. 8

Article No. 8’s approval transferred $350,000 from the general fund for the new side entrance construction to the Children’s Room at the Swampscott Public Library. 

There is a $250,000 grant opportunity that would defray some of the $350,000 costs if the town is awarded the money. Should the library receive the grant, the local cost for the improvements will be reduced to $100,000.

Article No. 9

Town Meeting Members approved an appropriate $205,810 to improve Abbott Park. The town has already received a $100,000 grant from the state to remove the existing surface material and install new, accessible safety surfacing to ensure a safer play area.

Article No. 10

Article No. 10 was the longest discussed item at Monday’s Town Meeting. After an hour and a half, Town Meeting Members ended up deciding to approve the article, allowing the Select Board to continue to lease the previous Hawthorne-by-the-Sea restaurant while discussions on the long-term plans for the overall property continue to move forward.

“Article No. 10 gives us the time and flexibility to keep this landmark protected, active and productive while we finish that work together,” said Town Administrator Nick Connors, adding that by keeping the Hawthorne restaurant open it allows for a “dual-track” approach through short-term activation and long-term redevelopment. “It’s both fiscally responsible and community driven, ensuring that we generate value rather than costs while we continue forward with this plan.”