Billerica Select Board approves two liquor licenses, opts out of vote-by-mail

BILLERICA — January 27, 2025 — Billerica Select Board approved two beer and wine licenses, set election dates, and heard a heated Griggs Farm tax dispute at its January 27 meeting. The board unanimously approved a license transfer to Hari Saram Inc., doing business as Shop and Go, at 326 Salem Road, and a new license for Parra Mart Inc., doing business as One Stop, at 772 Boston Road, where owner Varel Patel plans a roughly $25,000 investment to convert the site to a 21-and-over beer and wine shop. The board voted 4-1 to opt out of universal vote-by-mail — Town Clerk Donna Roberts cited a $5,050.79 cost for 5,207 ballots with only a 50 percent return rate — while approving early voting March 31 to April 2. Town Manager Clancy Brisson reported a projected 1.6 percent municipal budget increase for fiscal year 2026, crediting line-by-line contract reviews including cuts to Zoom and Munis software. The unresolved Griggs Farm tax dispute, with selectwomen Conway and Favreau clashing over whether the farm owes as much as $272,000 in principal or was improperly assessed under agricultural preservation law, was referred to town counsel without a formal vote.