Billerica Finance Committee backs responsible bidder bylaw in unanimous vote

BILLERICA -- April 28, 2026, Billerica's Finance Committee unanimously recommended a first-in-state responsible bidder bylaw and approved a two-year union contract at its April 28 meeting. The committee voted 10-0 to advance Article 33, which would bar contractors found in violation of Massachusetts General Law Chapter 149 from bidding on town projects for three years, with Town Manager Chris Harriman saying his staff could review relevant state debarment websites using existing resources. The committee also approved a collective bargaining agreement with the Billerica Professional Administrators Association covering fiscal years 2027 and 2028, featuring 2 percent cost-of-living adjustments in each year, an added sixth wage step, and a first-year cost of $63,421.51 to be raised at town meeting. The session's longest stretch was an unvoted debate over the Shawsheen Valley Technical High School operating budget, with members calling the district's 1.71 percent increase figure "fake math," noting the district has not yet received a certified free cash number from the state, and coordinating a plan to move at town meeting to sever the Shawsheen line from Article 12, a maneuver that, if supported by at least two of five member communities, would send the budget back to the district for renegotiation.