Alicia Jipson: Many thanks to Belmont voters

The successful passage of the 2026 town budget is something I am deeply grateful for and incredibly grateful of our community for supporting. For the past two years, our town has faced the difficult reality of operating under a default budget. Anyone who has worked through that process understands the challenges it creates, not only for the town’s operations but also for the people working every day to serve our residents.

Over these past two years, our staff, board members, budget committee, and many others have spent countless hours carefully preparing budgets that reflect the real needs of our town while being mindful of the responsibility we have to taxpayers. There have been many long meetings, difficult conversations, and more than a few sleepless nights along the way. Operating under a default budget brought both headaches and, at times, real heartache as we tried to maintain services with limited flexibility.

That is why the voters’ decision to pass the 2026 budget means so much. It represents trust in the work being done and a shared commitment to the future of our community. I am truly grateful to everyone who took the time to learn about the budget, participate in the process, and make their voice heard at the ballot box. Even if the win was by a few votes, a win is a win.

Passing this budget allows us to move forward together and focus on continuing to serve the residents of this town to the very best of our abilities.

I am also pleased to share that the voters have approved the warrant article authorizing the purchase of a new fire truck for our Fire Department, supported by $500,000 in state grant funding. This is an important investment in the safety of our community and a strong example of how outside funding can help reduce the burden on local taxpayers.

For residents, this means improved emergency response capabilities for years to come, with a lower local cost than would otherwise be required. The new fire truck will improve our department’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to fires, medical emergencies, and other incidents across the community.

We would like to thank the voters for their support and the many individuals who worked to secure this grant funding and bring this proposal forward. Your commitment helps ensure that our town continues to invest wisely in the services that protect our community.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank the voters for their support and for believing in the work we are doing for our community.

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Alicia Jipson is the town administrator for the Town of Belmont.