Select Board opposes Sudbury recall and no-confidence petitions, backs bottle bill

SUDBURY -- May 5, 2026, Sudbury Select Board opposes three of four Special Town Meeting petitions and confronts solar-sign spending. Meeting May 5 at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, the board voted 4-1 to back Article 1 supporting House Bill 3464's bottle bill expansion, then 4-1 against Article 3, a citizen recall bylaw, and 4-1 against Article 4, a no-confidence vote in the School Committee, with member Daniel E. Carty alone in favor on the latter two. Vice-Chair Radha R. Gargeya cited Edmund Burke's 1774 Bristol speech in opposing recall; Chair Janie W. Dretler called the recall draft "incredibly weak" and the no-confidence petition based on "baseless allegations." Member Charles G. Russo called the recall bylaw "not fully baked." Earlier, Town Counsel told the board that town funds used to purchase political signs for the solar canopy articles implicated MGL Chapter 268A, not campaign finance law; the expense was reimbursed and booked through the Solar Revolving Fund on auditor advice. The board also voted 4-0 to authorize the town manager to sign MSBA documents for the Nixon and Haynes roof projects.