ORANGE, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — The vote on a Proposition 2 1/2 override for the town of Orange’s 2026 budget, failed to pass 352 to 721.
The regional school assessment will still have to be paid in full, and any reductions to municipal departments may be proportionally distributed, according to a letter from Town Administrator Matthew Fortier. The reductions could include 20 town jobs including five full time police officers and three firefighters, leading to the end of the Police Department’s third shift and diminished fire and ambulance response.
The Town Meeting is expected to reconvene this evening at 7 p.m. in the Mahar Auditorium for a vote on the FY26 budget.