Council Votes 21-1 to Fund ADA Coordinator

Other Committee · Meeting of May 21, 2026

Newton's City Council voted 21-1 to urge the mayor to fully fund a standalone ADA coordinator position during the first of three fiscal 2027 budget hearings. Councilor Albright argued the position, left vacant when Jeannie Fairley retired, had been improperly split with legal duties, while COO Josh Morse said the administration wants the job to require a law degree. The council also voted 17-2 to ask the mayor to "consider funding" an additional Planning Department staffer after CFO Maureen Lemieux said the department's budget actually rose 5.4 percent once a shifted economic development role is counted, a figure Albright disputed, noting planning was "down by 7 percent." Separate resolutions on rain barrels (13-1) and reduced school bus fees (10-7) also passed and were sent to the mayor.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 946 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of May 21, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.