Barre, MA
Recent Barre public meeting topics include planning & zoning, contracts & procurement, budget & taxes, roads & infrastructure, water & utilities.
Topics found in recent meetings
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Our record for Barre may be out of date. The most recent record we hold is from Tue May 19, 2026. (104 days ago) Newer meetings may not have been published to the official portal yet, or may not have been collected by us yet — this is a statement about our record, not about whether the board or council has met. Check the official portal before concluding nothing is scheduled.
BarreMA averageUS Census ACS
Typical home value $419,033 +2.9% yr/yr · +32.9% 5-yr
Home-value trend 2000–2026 (Zillow ZHVI)
🗳️ How this town voted (55 contests)
Official town-by-town returns — MA Secretary of the Commonwealth (PD43+). ✓ marks this town's plurality choice.
U.S. Senate 2024-11-05
John Deaton ✓ 1,753 · Elizabeth Ann Warren 1,309
U.S. House — 2nd Congressional 2024-11-05
James P. McGovern ✓ 1,679 · Cornelius Shea 1,232
State Senate — Worcester & Hampshire 2024-11-05
Peter J. Durant ✓ 1,853 · Sheila H. Dibb 1,147
State Representative — 5th Worcester 2024-11-05
Donald R. Berthiaume, Jr ✓ 2,350
Register of Deeds — Worcester 2024-11-05
Kathryn A. Toomey ✓ 2,174
President 2024-11-05
Trump/ Vance ✓ 1,625 · Harris/ Walz 1,408 · Oliver/ Ter Maat 15 · Ayyadurai/ Ellis 13 · Stein/ Caballero-Roca 12 · West/ Abdullah 7
Governor's Council — 7th 2024-11-05
Andrew J. Couture ✓ 1,474 · Paul M. Depalo 1,469
Clerk of Courts — Worcester County 2024-11-05
Dennis P. McManus ✓ 2,167
U.S. Senate 2024-09-03
John Deaton ✓ 200 · Robert J. Antonellis 80 · Ian Cain 16
U.S. Senate 2024-09-03
Elizabeth Ann Warren ✓ 337
U.S. House — 2nd Congressional 2024-09-03
James P. McGovern ✓ 338
State Senate — Worcester & Hampshire 2024-09-03
Sheila H. Dibb ✓ 36
Recent meetings
Tue May 19, 2026
Meeting
Barre voters decide FY2027 budget, sewer/water purchases, zoning map update
The Annual Town Meeting will vote on the FY2027 omnibus budget, including school funding, and set salaries for elected officials. Voters will also decide on several capital purchases for the sewer and water departments, a zoning map amendment, and a proposed local meals tax and room occupancy excise tax.
- $75,775 from sewer retained earnings for a compact loader and hydraulic boom
- $87,024.75 from water retained earnings for a Ford F-350 pickup truck and plow
- Proposal to impose a 0.75% local meals tax and a 6% room occupancy excise tax
- Zoning map amendment to update the date of the official Zoning Map to March 27, 2026
- Authorization to petition the state legislature to reorganize the DPW and abolish the Public Works Commission
budgetzoningtaxespublic-workssewerwaterschools
✓ Decided: Barre voters approve $7.2M FY27 budget, water and sewer funds
The Annual Town Meeting approved a $7,180,460 FY27 operating budget (Article 12), a $694,408 water enterprise fund (Article 10), and a $1,149,334 sewer enterprise fund (Article 11). Voters also authorized $29,100 for assessor recertification, accepted Chapter 90 road funds, and approved several transfers from retained earnings for equipment and debt payments. All decisions were made by voice vote with no recorded roll calls.
- Approved $7,180,460 FY27 operating budget (voice vote, unanimous)
- Approved $694,408 water enterprise fund (consent agenda, unanimous)
- Approved $1,149,334 sewer enterprise fund (majority voice vote)
- Approved $29,100 for assessor recertification (consent agenda, unanimous)
- Approved $75,775 from sewer retained earnings for a compact loader (unanimous)
- Approved $14,520 from sewer retained earnings for heat pumps at wastewater plant (majority affirmative)
- Approved $92,024.75 from water retained earnings for a pickup truck (majority affirmative)
- Approved $62,000 from stabilization for snow and ice deficit (unanimous)
📄 From the agenda
Extracted text of the official agenda document (automated extraction — may contain OCR/formatting errors).
TOWN OF BARRE, MASSACHUSETTS
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT
MAY 19, 2026 - 6:30 PM - 105 RUGGLES LANE SCHOOL
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
WORCESTER, SS:
To one of the Constables in the Town of Barre, in the County of Worcester.
Greetings:
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby directed to notify and
warn the inhabitants of the Town of Barre, qualified to vote in town elections and town affairs
to meet at the Ruggles La choo arre, MA 01005.
TUESDAY, THE NINETEENTH DAY OF MAY 2026 AT 6:30 P.M,
then and there to act on the following articles:
rticle 1: fr ittees
To see if the Town will vote to accept the reports of the Select Board, Finance
Committee, School Committee and any other department or committee and act
thereon, or take any other action relative thereto.
icle 2: P f Bills from_a Prior Fiscal Year
To see if the Town will vote to transfer from available funds a sum of money to pay
bills from a prior fiscal year or take any other action relative thereto.
Article 3: FY2026 Transfer from Sewer Retained Earnings - Compact Loader
To see if the Town will vote to transfer the sum of $75,775.00 from sewer retained earnings to
the replacement account to purchase and equip a compact loader and hydraulic boom,
including alt incidental or related costs, or take any other action relative thereto.
Article 4; FY2026 Transfer from Sewer Retained Earnings - Heat Pumps
To see if the Town will vote to transfer the sum of $14,520.00 from sewer retained …
Excerpt truncated on this listing page. Full text →
📄 From the minutes
Extracted text of the official minutes document (automated extraction — may contain OCR/formatting errors).
TOWN OF BARRE - ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 – 6:30 p.m. – 105 Ruggles Lane (School)
The Moderator called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. with a total of 146 voters checked in. Of
the 4,393 registered voters qualified to attend, only 176 (4%) of the voters attended the meeting,
100 from Prec. 1 and 76 from Prec. 2. There were also 15 guests (non voters) in attendance.
The meeting opened with a pledge of allegiance to the Flag. The following corrections were
announced as changes to the printed Finance Committee Booklet:
Reinstatement of Expenses: (due to Quabbin Budget being lower than expected).
From Assessment $(82,359):
Increase each of the following line items:
Historical Exp.
$950
COA Exp.
$2,000
Cemetery Exp.
$500
Tree Warden Exp.
$1,000
DPW (Town Roads)
$2,000
Planning Board Exp.
$1,000
Conservation Exp.
$1,000
Building Exp.
$1,400
Ambulance Exp.
$2,000
Fire Exp.
$2,000
Town Clerk Various
$5,475
BOA Expense
$2,000
Recreation
$4,100
Parks & Commons
$2,600
Veterans
$1,500
Total Reinstated
$29,525.00
Balance From Assessment $(52,834)
The Moderator then gave a brief history presentation in light of the 250th Anniversary of the
signing of the Declaration of Independence and the reason we have it. He said it was due to the
King setting into place a set of laws that consisted of mainly 3 acts, which later became known as
the intolerable acts. It included a tax on tea, the stamp …
Excerpt truncated on this listing page. Full text →
💰 Federal awards (top 10 by amount)
Largest recent federal contract/grant awards to recipients in this city (2023–present), via USAspending.gov.
| $1.7M | CHAS G. ALLEN INCORPORATED Department of Defense · REPAIRS TO HYDRAULIC GATE ASSEMBLIES AT THE WEST THOMPSON LAKE DAM LOC |
| $695,626 | CHAS G. ALLEN INCORPORATED Department of Defense · REHABILITATE CANAL GATES AT FOX POINT HURRICANE BARRIER, PROVIDENCE, T |
| $487,588 | CHAS G. ALLEN INCORPORATED Department of Defense · EVERETT GATE PAINTING AND HYDRAULIC SYSTEM REPAIRS, WEARE, NH |
| $98,500 | NERI, JOHN Department of Defense · MAINTENANCE GARAGE RENOVATIONS, BARRE FALLS DAM, BARRE, MA. |
| $71,704 | NERI, JOHN Department of Defense · GARAGE TO CONFERENCE ROOM CONVERSION, LOWER CT RIVER BASIN OFFICE, ROY |
| $68,792 | NERI, JOHN Department of Defense · ROAD GATE AND PARKING LOT GUARDRAIL REPLACEMENT AT BIRCH HILL DAM, ROY |
| $22,500 | NERI, JOHN Department of Defense · LADDER REPAIRS AND FENCE INSTALLATION, WESTVILLE LAKE, SOUTHBRIDGE, MA |
| $19,825 | DONAHUE & SONS MGMT., INC. Department of Defense · SNOW REMOVAL AND SANDING SERVICES, BARRE FALLS DAM, HUBBARDSTON, BARRE |
| $12,015 | NERI, JOHN Department of Defense · CONFERENCE ROOM RENOVATIONS, BARRE FALLS DAM, BARRE, MA. |
| $9,417 | TOWN OF BARRE Department of Defense · LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES, BARRE FALLS DAM, BARRE, MA |
Source: USAspending.gov (U.S. Treasury) — federal awards only, not city budgets.
🌐 County-level context (Worcester County)
County-level context — from BLS, IRS, FEMA, HUD, Census. These figures cover the whole county this city sits in, not just the city itself.
Traffic fatalities1 (2024)
Business establishments19,181 (319,255 employees · 2023)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)$1,854/mo (2025)
Adults with low literacy17.1% (low numeracy 25% · 2017)
Sources: BLS LAUS, IRS SOI, FEMA, NHTSA FARS, Census CBP, HUD, NCES PIAAC
City profile
Everything below is drawn from this city’s own public record and primary-source government data. AI-written summaries are a finding aid, not a citable quote.
Outcomes — economic mobility
source: Opportunity Atlas (Harvard) · research useFor kids who grew up here in low-income households, their adult household-income rank (0–1). The average hides a gap by race:
Research-only layer, shown here for context — not included in the CC BY 4.0 bulk download.
Where it’s happening
geocoded land-use decisions🗺 Interactive map
Every rezoning, development approval, and permit — explore the geocoded records in the research explorer.