Wayland adopts $108 million FY26 budget, approves Route 20 pickup-window overlay

WAYLAND — April 7, 2025 — Wayland adopts $108M budget and clears Route 20 pickup-window overlay over planning board objection. Annual town meeting on Monday approved a $107.96 million fiscal 2026 operating budget 350-24, a 3.49 percent increase that Finance Committee Chair Michael Hoyle said leaves about $1.5 million in excess levy capacity and "perhaps" defers a Proposition 2½ override one more year. Town Manager Michael McCall reported a net reduction of 5.31 full-time positions, and School Committee Chair Erin Gibbons presented a $54.99 million schools budget funding tuition-free full-day kindergarten in the operating budget for the first time. Voters then passed a new Restaurant Pre-Order Pickup Window Overlay District 279-63, clearing the two-thirds threshold despite a 3-2 Planning Board recommendation against; Economic Development Committee Chair Rebecca Stanizi cited a survey in which 86 percent of more than 1,500 respondents supported pickup windows. An amendment from Anette Lewis to strip $250,000 in Route 20 design funding from the capital budget failed 80-314.