On April 9, 2026, a Superior Court Judge issued the following Preliminary Injunction sought by the Airport Commission:
“The Town Manager and the Town are restrained and enjoined, directly or indirectly, from acting in any manner involving the care, custody of the [airport], or its management, retaliating in any way against the [Commission] or its members,…and from taking any action directly or indirectly …indirectly interfering with the authority of the [Commission] under [State law].”
On May 1, 2026, the Town Manager advised the Commission that the Town would immediately cease performing 24 itemized functions that “the airport caused” by the Judge’s decision.
The Commission sought the Preliminary Injunction because of the Town Manager’s insistence on “top down” control over the Commission’s activities, in spite of state law guaranteeing the independence of municipal airports from municipal managerial control. The Town Manager’s response was to double down by seeking “bottom up” control to disable the Commission from performing whatsoever its statutory duties.
If this is not contempt of court, what is? The Select Board needs to immediately take action to prevent one black eye from becoming two.
– Richard M. Serkey
Serkey is a Town Meeting member from Precinct 2