Hudson Select Board Unanimously Sets 29-Article Annual Town Meeting Warrant

HUDSON — May 18, 2026 — Hudson Select Board sets 29-article Annual Town Meeting warrant and approves a Millbury distillery's farmers-market license. Chair Linda Long-Baliel presided over the compact May 18 meeting, during which Town Manager Paul Challenger walked members through a warrant restructured at the Finance Committee's request to allow potential bundling of articles 4 through 8 into a single vote. Notable articles include a proposed acceptance of MGL Chapter 40, Section 5B to enable grant transfers into the town's vehicle stabilization fund — meant to supplement the $150,000 annual appropriation supporting a roughly $500,000-per-ambulance replacement cycle — and a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes authorization for a potential solar array modeled on a prior battery-storage agreement. The board voted 3-0 on each warrant motion with Selectman Will Holmes unable to participate due to Zoom connectivity failures. Barry Bacon of Spicy Water Distillers LLC received a unanimous 3-0 approval for a 19E Farmer Distillery License to serve samples at area farmers markets. Long-Baliel also donated her $1,150 chair's stipend to the Senior Center for events and programming, abstaining from the accepting vote while the remaining three members approved it.