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Thursday, September 24, 2026

Halifax's bond rating slipped to AA- as Finance Committee members weighed audit costs and budget pressure.

From Halifax News

• Planning Board reviews Holmes Street site plan complaint. Halifax's Planning Board examined an abutter's complaint that a light industrial property at 285 Holmes Street had outgrown its approved use, citing vehicle storage, antique sales and unpermitted soil removal.Halifax News
• Conservation Commission takes up Ocean Avenue tight tank. Halifax's Conservation Commission reviewed a proposed tight tank for a narrow Ocean Avenue lot near a pond, a nursery trailer on Plymouth Street, and closed out several older Amanda's Way and Monponsett Street files.Halifax News
• Select Board weighs shifting Halifax's tax rate. Halifax's Select Board considered a proposal to raise the commercial tax rate while trimming the average residential bill, filled three board and committee seats, and arranged for retiring Officer Paul Campbell to take comfort dog Roxy.Halifax News
• Finance Committee flags rising costs ahead of FY28 budget. Halifax's Finance Committee reviewed four years of cost growth, including a sharp rise in the Silver Lake Regional assessment and technology spending, as it begins shaping the fiscal 2028 budget.Halifax News
• Silver Lake panel debates tennis court access rules. The Silver Lake Regional School Committee took up a proposal to loosen access to locked tennis courts after a student ambassador said the restrictions limit practice time, amid liability concerns raised by the district.Halifax News
• Council on Aging details senior transportation budget cut. Halifax's Council on Aging director told the board how a budget cut zeroed out van driver wages this spring, leaving the department with one part time driver, and raised concerns about the new senior center's design.Halifax News
• Planning Board seeks legal opinion on Holmes Street. Halifax's Planning Board asked town counsel to weigh in on whether a property owner's verbal commitments from a 2024 hearing are enforceable, as questions persist over a long running Holmes Street compliance dispute.Halifax News
• Finance Committee learns of Halifax bond rating downgrade. Halifax's Finance Committee learned the town's bond rating slipped from AA+ to AA-, tied to heavy reliance on one-time funding, as members weighed an auditor contract and a Zoning Bylaw Review Committee appointment.Halifax News