Select Board delays vote on campaign sign rules near memorials

Select Board · Meeting of August 10, 2026

Ashburnham Select Board tables campaign sign rules, sets October special town meeting. Clerk Phil Papoojian asked the board to weigh restricting campaign signage near the Town Hall war memorials after his own 2026 campaign drew complaints; Town Administrator John Coderre said town counsel advised any policy must stay content-neutral, unable to single out "political signage" from other signs. Vice Chair Leo Janssens said his "biggest thing" was keeping signs away from the memorials, calling it a matter of "perception is reality." No vote was taken; the item returns once counsel issues a full opinion.

The board also continued a Verizon New England underground conduit hearing on Bush Hill Road to September 21, approved the September 1 state primary warrant, and set a tentative October 27 special town meeting to accept roadways tied to the Route 101 project and adopt a statute securing the town's 3 percent local tax on sales once Eddie's Flowers, a marijuana retailer, receives state approval to open.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,486 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of August 10, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.