Lenox Town Meeting Approves $44 Million Budget and Cell Tower Lease

LENOX -- May 7, 2026, Lenox voters approved a $44 million fiscal year 2027 spending plan and authorized a cell tower lease at the town's new public safety complex at the May 7 Annual Town Meeting. Town Manager Jay Green presented a budget carrying a 6.8 percent tax levy increase, driven by new public safety complex debt service, an 8.75 percent health insurance increase, and a 5 percent utility cost rise, while noting that Lenox remains the only AAA-rated municipality in Berkshire County and holds $5.1 million in certified free cash. The school operating budget of $19.4 million on the tax levy includes a $900,000 capital appropriation for gym roof repairs, Morris Elementary air conditioning, and a new emergency notification system at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School, with School Committee Chair Orrin Cass flagging a longer-term capital list topped by $5.2 million in combined roof replacements at both school buildings. The meeting's most debated item was Article 15, authorizing the Select Board to negotiate cell tower leases expected to yield $4,000 to $6,000 per month; it passed 296 to 28, with Select Board member Neil Maximilian telling the crowd that the tower "is not a panacea that fixes everything, but it will certainly improve things." Six Community Preservation Committee projects totaling approximately $1.1 million also won approval, including $500,000 for the Penrose affordable housing development at 283 Pittsfield Road and $229,783 for interior preservation of the Church on the Hill.