Ware Select Board Reorganizes, Cuts Town Meeting Quorum, Extends Town Manager Contract

Select Board · Meeting of May 19, 2026

Ware Select Board reorganized, extended town manager contract, and lowered town meeting quorum to 80 ahead of a packed June 8 warrant. Newly elected Chair Josh Kuzniars, elevated from vice chair, won the chair vote unanimously at the April 21 meeting; Kenneth Ouellette was confirmed vice chair 4-0-1 and Valerie Granger was elected clerk unanimously. The board approved a one-year contract extension for 14-year Town Manager Stuart Beckley at a base salary of $120,460.91 plus a $1,000-per-month retention bonus capped at $12,000, with a commitment to develop a succession plan.

After a public hearing at which residents including Kathy Cascio said she was "saddened" but accepted 80 as "the lowest I would feel comfortable with," the board voted unanimously to reduce the quorum from 100, citing repeated failures to open town meetings on time. The board approved the June 8 warrant but stripped Article 21, a municipal electric aggregation proposal from CPG Consulting, saying members needed more information before putting an opt-out program to voters. A second PFAS settlement payment of $29,000 was also reported, bringing total receipts to $98,000.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of May 19, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.