Select Board Appoints Sullivan, Rejects Clark for Trustees

Select Board · Meeting of July 14, 2026

Reading's Select Board debated a $6.5 million override for fiscal 2028 and heard the police chief's retirement announcement. Town Manager Jayne Wellman said the town's structural deficit is roughly $6.6 million and warned that a failed override could mean cutting "74 positions between the town and the school." Member Christopher Haley said he "will not be voting for any override options until the April ballot," calling $6.5 million "way too low." Retiring Police Chief Clark, stepping down after 32 years, recommended Deputy Chief Christina Amendola as his successor, citing her military service in Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia and a Bronze Star. The board also voted, 10-0 combined with the Library Trustees, to appoint Brenna Sullivan to the Board of Library Trustees, while a separate nomination for Jason Clark failed three votes to seven.

The board must set an override amount and format by August 5.

In the full story:

• Board of Library Trustees interviews and appointments
• Chair's statement on prior meeting remarks
• Public comment
• Town Manager's report
• Community spotlight and Zoll Medical recognition
• Consent agenda
• Police chief's retirement announcement
• Warrant for the September 1 state primary
• Naming policy for town-owned facilities
• Override discussion
• Election outreach signage
• Liaison reports and future agenda items
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,893 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of July 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.