Stoughton Finance Committee Opens Town Meeting Hearings, Hears SMAC Lawsuit Settled

STOUGHTON -- March 12, 2026, Stoughton's Finance Committee opened public hearings for the May 4 Annual and Special Town Meetings, with the headline development being Town Manager Tom Coulter's announcement that the town and SMAC, the local public-access broadcaster, have settled their lawsuit and agreed to a new 10-year contract. SMAC Treasurer Steve Bates, appearing in place of an ill program manager, confirmed that details cannot be disclosed until ratification but that a joint public statement will be released at a March 26 hearing. Town meeting members will be asked under Article 36 to approve transfer of the entirety of SMAC's enterprise fund retained earnings, approximately $185,000, to cover legal costs, with Coulter confirming "taxpayers are not on the hook for either side's legal fees." The committee also reviewed a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Stoughton Professional and Administrative Employee Association covering cost-of-living increases of 2.5 percent in fiscal year 2027 ($49,000), 2.75 percent in fiscal year 2028 ($57,000), and 2.95 percent in fiscal year 2029 ($40,500), already embedded in the proposed budget. Veterans Services Program Administrator Sharon Johnson reported the office returned more than $942,000 in federal and state benefits tax-free to residents in 2025, ranking Stoughton third out of 27 Norfolk County communities. All public hearings were continued unanimously to Wednesday, March 18.