Countdown Till Saugus Town Meeting

Editor’s Note: The 2026 Annual Town Meeting convenes on Monday, May 4. As a special service to our readers and the registered voters of Saugus, we are reaching out to all 50 Town Meeting members, focusing on one precinct each week, in the weeks leading up to the start of Town Meeting, asking members about their expectations for the upcoming Town Meeting. This week, we received responses from four of the five Town Meeting Members in Precinct 2. For next week’s newspaper, we will reach out to the five Town Meeting Members from Precinct 3. The 2026 Annual Town Meeting convenes eight weeks from Monday.

Question One: What do you consider the top priority for the town as you prepare for the opening of the 2026 Town Meeting session?

Robert J. Camuso Sr.: Saugus has many Top priority items. One is the Vocational School bill. It’s a 30 year bill that is based on student enrollment each year so its cost isn’t a fixed bill. It’s calculated by students enrolled that year. The more students, the higher the bill and the less, the lower it is every year. A separate cost to this bill which isn’t mentioned much is the operation costs that went up 15+ million more per year (29 to 44+ million per year), which adds approximately 1+ million more on top of the Vocational School bill. So it’s a substantial cost to Saugus.

Another is the Westside Fire Station proposal, which is now turned into a public safety building proposal. Saugus has already invested hundreds of thousands of dollars just for studies on this for years. My opinion on this is we’ve been trying for years for just a fire truck in a town building in that part of town and haven’t been favorable yet to this day. Now this has turned into a much larger scale proposal and much more expensive project by turning it into a public safety building (Fire, Police, Ambulance) that also needs to be staffed which seeing past history of voter support might have the same results. Let’s first get a fire truck in a town building established before anything else on that side of town & getting taxpayers to pass it, that will give us a footprint to build & future expand on as we grow and go forward. In the future we can incorporate more services into it as we get more sustainable. Voters will better support (my opinion) a fire truck apparatus & town building first to get something established with the ability to grow compared to a much more expensive public safety building proposal all at once that past history showed unfavorable due to its cost & yearly staffing cost.

Jeannie Meredith: As a Precinct 2 Town Meeting Member, my top priority is safeguarding the strong financial foundation our town has worked diligently to build. I am extremely proud that Saugus maintains AA Plus bond rating, particularly at a time when many surrounding communities are facing overrides and significant financial challenges. That rating is not accidental, it reflects disciplined budgeting, prudent decision-making, and long-term strategic planning. Preserving that level of financial stability must remain central to every vote and every article we consider. Fiscal responsibility is not about limiting progress, it is about ensuring that growth and investment are sustainable and do not place undue strain on taxpayers.

Matthew Parlante: My top priority for Saugus as we prepare for the 2026 Town Meeting is public safety and ensuring the Town has the capacity to protect residents as Saugus continues to grow. That means moving forward in a responsible way with planning and funding for a combined public safety facility, and making sure our police and fire staffing levels, equipment, and response coverage keep pace with increased demand.

Peter A. Rossetti Jr.: The biggest issue for the town, coming up, I think, will be zoning. I think with the advent of AUD Accessory Dwelling Units, and the State trying to increase housing stock, you will see several changes. One is more 40Bs. I know that it is being said that there will be no more 40Bs, but I disagree. I think we will see another one on Route 1. I also think we are going to see an increase in the 10% required for safe havens. The AUD units, we are seeing a lot of them at the ZBA (Zoning Board of Appeals). I think soon we will be seeing more. A proposal to reduce lot sizes back to 10,000 square feet from 20,000 square feet might be in the future.

Budgets are also a big issue, and the cost of the new vocational school will be a big hit in the future, but that was already voted on, and the costs were known. We were told there was a plan to cover the cost with a Town stabilization fund. The state is cutting back on education reimbursements, which is difficult after the project was already done.

Question Two: What do you consider the top priority for residents in your precinct as you prepare for the opening of the 2025 Town Meeting session?

Robert J. Camuso Sr.: One of my priorities in Precinct Two is to try keeping the integrity of Cliftondale neighborhoods and streets from future developments, 40B projects etc., also the Revere abutting property of impacting any Cliftondale streets also if developers decide to build in our backyards. Route One highway traffic should never have an avenue through any development into any Saugus neighborhoods, taking a proactive action will help keep highway traffic out of Cliftondale streets & neighborhoods and to keep it where it belongs. Cliftondale is a unique place and I hope it stays that way. We see the growing traffic concerns on our streets now and the desire for better quality businesses to open doors up to get revitalization moving forward.

Jeannie Meredith: For residents of Precinct 2, my top priority is and always will be, protecting the integrity, safety and quality of life in our established neighborhoods.

In particular, I have serious concerns regarding the proposed Caddy’s Farm project and the potential for construction and long-term traffic patterns to divert vehicles onto our residential side streets. Our neighborhood roads were not designed to serve as cut-throughs for large-scale development traffic. Any proposal that shifts that burden onto residents must be carefully scrutinized and responsibly addressed.

Development should enhance our community, not disrupt it. Growth must be balanced with infrastructure capacity, public safety, and the everyday realities of the families who live here. I will continue to advocate strongly to ensure that Precinct 2 neighborhoods are not disproportionately impacted.

Matthew Parlante: For Precinct 2, my top priority is public safety. Many neighborhood streets are being used as cut-through routes, creating dangerous conditions for families and children. Targeted measures, such as speed humps, along with stronger traffic enforcement, will help restore safety to our residential areas.

Safety on the bike path is another concern. Motorized scooters and high-powered e-bikes are traveling at unsafe speeds, and the path is even being used by delivery drivers to bypass traffic. We need clearer rules and consistent enforcement to protect pedestrians and families. I also believe residents deserve clarity on the Cliftondale revitalization properties the Town has acquired and what the long-term plan is moving forward.

Peter A. Rossetti Jr.: This relates to the question above.

Question Three: Are you working independently or in collaboration with other members on articles to be introduced for this year’s Town Meeting? Could you please elaborate? Summarize your article and what you hope to accomplish.

Matthew Parlante: Yes, I plan to introduce several articles this year.

First, I will propose prohibiting cryptocurrency ATMs in Saugus. These machines have been widely used in scams where residents, often seniors, are tricked into depositing money that cannot be recovered. This is a consumer protection issue, and we should take steps to prevent that harm locally.

Second, I will reintroduce a Senior Work-Off/Tax Relief Program to allow eligible seniors to reduce their property taxes through volunteer service to the Town. Beyond financial relief, the program promotes purpose and engagement for older residents who want to remain active and connected to the community.

Lastly, I will again introduce articles to establish both a Charter Review Committee and a Bylaw Review Committee. This will be the third consecutive Town Meeting where I have brought these forward because I believe regular review of our governing documents is essential. It is equally important that the selection process for these committees be fair and unbiased, which is why I support using a lottery system to ensure equal opportunity and public confidence in the process.

Peter A. Rossetti Jr.: I have been working with other town meeting members and others in the community to have a review done of our town bylaws. They are in poor shape. There are more amended pages in the zoning book than regular pages in the zoning book. Recently, Lynn did an update of their zoning. It was expensive, but they were able to get the state to fund some of the costs. The cost of one lawsuit due to zoning mistakes can be far more than the cost of reviewing the rules. I think this is something we have to look at, and I am working on an article to ask the Town Meeting to fund a review.