Wrentham Select Board votes 4-1 to opt out of April election mail voting

WRENTHAM — January 21, 2026 — Wrentham Select Board votes 4-1 against early vote-by-mail and honors town's first female selectman. The board held a public hearing required under the VOTES Act of 2022 before opting out of vote-by-mail for the April 6 annual town election; Town Clerk Ann Fisk testified she did not recommend the option, saying it duplicates absentee procedures, requires a separate database, and has not increased turnout in four prior elections, while Selectman Bill Harrington cast the lone dissenting vote saying voters should have every opportunity to vote. The board accepted 5-0 the resignation of Zoning Board of Appeals Chair William J. Burns, effective February 1, and issued a proclamation honoring Karen E. Kohut, elected in 1977 as Wrentham's first woman selectman, with her son Bryant Kohut on the call and Town Manager Mike King agreeing to work with the family to accession original Kohut-era documents to the historical commission. King also reported a Tri-County Regional excess-and-deficiency surplus of approximately $1.3 million that will reduce FY27 member-town assessments, and the board received a full presentation of a draft strategic plan built around eight outcome areas, with formal adoption targeted for the next meeting.