Special Town Meeting — October 19, 2026

The Swansea Special Town Meeting was held on October 19, 2026, at the Venus de Milo, called to order at 7:03 PM with over 1,000 registered voters present. The warrant consisted of two major articles: a Community Preservation Act expenditure for land conservation and a major school building construction borrowing authorization. Town officials introduced newly hired Town Administrator Mitch Rossetti and Assistant Town Administrator Kelly Grant, and went over procedural and voting rules before addressing the business of the evening.

Article 1 proposed transferring $430,000 from the open space reserves of the Community Preservation Fund to the Conservation Commission to purchase a conservation restriction on 33.7 acres at Stony Creek Farm (1210 Wilbur Avenue). Supporters detailed the environmental importance of protecting town wetlands, controlling downstream flooding toward the bay, and preserving agricultural land against residential subdivision or comprehensive permit (40B) development. Opponents and skeptics raised questions regarding the lack of a finished draft deed restriction, the cost breakdown including a roughly $16,000 fee to Wildlands Trust, and rising property taxes. After deliberation, the article was approved by a majority voice vote.

Article 2 sought authorization to borrow $149,723,734 to construct a new 114,707-square-foot Joseph Case Junior High School serving 510 students on the existing high school campus at 70 School Street. Officials outlined that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) would provide an estimated $61.5 million grant, leaving the town's net share around $88 million to be funded through a temporary Proposition 2½ debt exclusion subject to an upcoming ballot vote. Following extensive public discussion regarding project scope, security features, senior citizen tax burdens, and building conditions, a paper ballot vote was held. The motion required a two-thirds majority and passed 743 to 217, after which the meeting adjourned at 10:21 PM.

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