Wakefield Town Council approves seven FY2027 budgets, accepts Quantum Power Parkway agreements

Select Board · Meeting of February 23, 2026

Wakefield Town Council unanimously approved seven fiscal year 2027 department budgets and accepted four legal instruments completing the Quantum Power Parkway development agreement at its February 23 meeting. The council voted to accept a restrictive covenant protecting 12.7 acres of open space, a public-access pathway easement, a no-cost police public-safety office lease, and a landscaping license tied to the 440-unit, 79-percent-affordable development — the product of a 15-month Zoning Board of Appeals process that also secured $1.3 million for Lake Quannapowitt water-quality improvements and a $600,000 roadway mitigation fund. Police Chief Scorey won approval for a $8,031,261 budget — up 1.2 percent — including a request for a 49th officer, citing 14,859 calls for service in the past year, an 8.3 percent increase, and a staffing ratio of 1.75 officers per 1,000 residents that trails every comparable community.

Treasurer Ed Jombrowski reported a record $5.312 million in investment revenue for calendar year 2025 while holding his department's budget increase to 0.77 percent. The animal control budget was tabled pending an inter-municipal agreement with Melrose and Stoneham expected to reduce costs from $40,000 to roughly $35,000.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of February 23, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.