Reading Voters Will Decide FY28 Override on Nov. 3 Ballot
Reading voters will decide a fiscal 2028 operational override on the November 3 state election ballot, the town announced this week, setting up a fall budget fight that will also shape funding for Reading Public Schools.
TOWN HALL
Town officials confirmed that an operational override for fiscal year 2028, which begins July 1, 2027, will go before Reading voters as a ballot question on Nov. 3. The town has launched an "FY28 Override Hub" with information for residents ahead of the vote.
Separately, MassDOT will fully close the Route 129 (Lowell Street) bridge over Interstate 93 from 11 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, until 5 a.m. the following morning, cutting off the ramps between the highway and Lowell Street overnight. Town Manager Jayne Wellman also released a new episode of her "Reading Between the Lines" podcast, produced with RCTV, focused on upcoming changes to the town's rubbish and recycling program. The town said work continues at the future Reading Center for Active Living (ReCAL) site, with a project update posted this week, and the East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project is running truck-mounted aerosol spraying around town through the summer under a posted schedule.
SCHOOLS
Reading Public Schools has posted a summary of the proposed fiscal 2028 Proposition 2½ operational override for families, tying the district's own budget picture to the townwide ballot question set for November. The district's site continues to point families to Superintendent Dr. Turner and to the ongoing Killam School building project.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
"Representatives Jones, Haggerty Secure Initial House Approval of Medal of Fidelity License Plate Legislation," per a release carried on Reading Patch from the Office of House Minority Leader Brad Jones. The bill, which would create a new commemorative license plate, has cleared an initial House vote and now heads to the Senate for review (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/reading).
"Patch AM: Meet the Reading dancer stepping onto Boston Ballet's professional stage," Reading Patch reports. The item profiles a Reading dancer who has landed a spot on Boston Ballet's professional roster, according to the outlet's morning newsletter (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/reading).
"Reading Community Singers ~ 3 OPEN Rehearsals ~ Aug 25, Sept 1 & 8 ~ Come Sing with Us!" according to a listing on thereadingpost.com. The community chorus is opening three rehearsals this fall to newcomers interested in joining, held Tuesday evenings at Old South United Methodist Church on Salem Street (read it at https://thereadingpost.com/2026/08/07/reading-community-singers-3-open-rehearsals-aug-25-sept-1-8-come-sing-with-us/).
COMING UP
MassDOT closes the Route 129 (Lowell Street) bridge over I-93 overnight Sunday, Aug. 9, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. The Council on Aging and the Board of Library Trustees both meet Monday, Aug. 10, and the Historical Commission and Conservation Commission both meet Wednesday, Aug. 12, according to the town's public meeting calendar.
Compiled from official town feeds, community organizations, and local press. Outside reporting is attributed inline.