Freetown Board Approves Audit Request, Hears $31 Million Building Cost Overrun

FREETOWN — March 30, 2026 — Freetown's combined Council on Aging and library building came in $8 million over budget, Town Administrator Deborah Petty told the Select Board at its March 30 meeting. The project, which carries a $25 million total budget — $15 million in town funds plus a pending $10.2 million Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners grant — received bids at $31 million and change; Petty said there is "no way" to reach that number without borrowing well in excess of $10 million, far beyond the up-to-$5 million the board had planned to absorb within the tax levy. The board must act by the June 1 town meeting to preserve the MBLC grant, which expires June 30. In other action, the board unanimously re-voted its request that the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School Committee conduct an independent audit of fiscal years 2022 through 2025, raised seasonal parking control officer pay from $18 to $22 per hour, and recognized department heads from five town departments for their response to the 2026 blizzard. The meeting also marked the final session for Board Chair Trevor R. Matthews, who was presented a plaque and a Massachusetts Senate citation after six years of service.