Selectmen Table Cannabis Equity Mandate

Board of Selectmen · Meeting of August 13, 2026

Somerset selectmen tabled a cannabis equity compliance plan, objecting to state scoring rules. Selectman Allen Smith called the Cannabis Control Commission's mandate an "incredible overreach," noting the state keeps 17 percent of cannabis tax revenue while the town gets 3 percent. Selectman Todd Costa said he'd be willing to vote it down outright, but the board tabled it instead to avoid provoking state enforcement.

In other business, the board unanimously appointed Mark Green, a 22-year school-department employee, as Town Hall custodian, and Mary Beth Buglio of Fall River as part-time tobacco inspector through June 30, 2027. It also approved a liquor license for The Mallard, a common victualer license for From Scratch Desserts, and a one-day beer-garden permit benefiting the David Moray's Music Foundation, which has raised over $150,000 for school music programs in 15 years. The board adopted an updated misconduct investigation policy and tabled a separate selectmen appointment policy pending legal review.

In the full story:

• Moment of Silence and Routine Opening
• Liquor License: The Mallard
• Common Victualer License: From Scratch Desserts
• Special One-Day License: Progressive Club Beer Garden
• Personnel Appointments: Custodian and Tobacco Inspector
• Town-Owned Property for Potential Sale
• Complaint and Misconduct Investigation Policy
• Cannabis Control Commission Equity Mandate
• Board of Selectmen Appointment Policy
• Other Updates: Housing Authority Luncheon and Chapter 70 Funding
• Town Administrator Updates and Citizen Input
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,762 words

Source: the Board of Selectmen meeting of August 13, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.