Somerset pauses Music Town parade for 2026

Board of Selectmen · Meeting of July 30, 2026

Somerset's Board of Selectmen heard that the Music Town Festival parade is paused for 2026 after a leadership shakeup, while other licensing and appointment business moved forward. Colleen Hart, new president of Somerset Friends of Music, said seven new nonprofit board members elected in June needed more lead time, calling the pause temporary: "The Board made the difficult decision to place the Music Town Festival on pause for 2026." The board unanimously appointed Jacob Clark as a firefighter paramedic effective August 30, approved a Real Deal Auto Sales and Services LLC dealer's license transfer, and appointed Edward Sousa to the Board of Registrars. The board tabled the Mallard restaurant's outdoor dining license pending a legal opinion on whether its seating sits on a separate parcel.

Selectman Allen Smith spent over 20 minutes rebutting Finance Committee member George Kelly's tax-burden concerns, citing $6.3 million in annual school debt service and warning: "Using free cash to pay down your levy is not a good idea. Don't do it."

In the full story:

• Waiving the June minutes and a late appointment
• Firefighter paramedic appointment: Jacob Clark
• South Somerset Progressive Club bar manager change
• Used car dealer's license transfer: Real Deal Auto Sales
• Outdoor dining license: the Mallard
• Lawn signs for pediatric brain cancer fundraiser
• Music Town Festival changes and Town Green signage
• Board of Registrars appointment
• Election workers and Taunton River Stewardship Council
• Tax burden debate: Selectman Smith responds to Finance Committee comments
• Town administrator updates: cannabis tax revenue and transfer station scales
• Citizens input
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 3,283 words

Source: the Board of Selectmen meeting of July 30, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.