Sheffield Town Meeting Passes $4.9 Million Budget, Defers School District Assessment to Special Session

LENOX — May 4, 2026 — Sheffield Annual Town Meeting approves $4.9 million budget but defers Southern Berkshire Regional School District assessment to a future special session. Moderator Julie Hannum presided over roughly 92 voters on May 4, with Select Board Chairman Lee Butala telling the body that all five district towns agreed to give new school leadership more time to resolve "potential anomalies in the budget," with a special Town Meeting expected next month. Voters approved 25 of 27 warrant articles, including $250,000 for town building repairs, $300,000 for highway garage debt service, and $106,539 from the stabilization fund for a fire truck lease-purchase, before defeating a citizen-sponsored single-use plastic water bottle ban 57 to 40 after a presentation by 17-year-old petitioner Tate Collins, who argued the average person uses 167 plastic bottles annually. The meeting closed by approving 52 to 37 a nonbinding resolution calling on state legislators to support redesign of the Massachusetts state flag and seal.