Local news for the towns of Buzzards Bay
and the lower Taunton River
57°ClearNew Bedford, Oct. 15, 9:50 a.m.TownsBristol County
Dartmouth news from South Coast 360, built from the town's posted agendas, minutes and notices.
Latest from DartmouthExplainerNov. 3 election
Dartmouth will open nine polling places from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voting at Town Hall runs Oct. 17 to 30; register to vote by Oct. 24.
Reported by usOct. 20 meeting
Article 7, the largest ask, would authorize up to $5,500,000 in borrowing for wastewater treatment plant aeration upgrades. The Finance Committee recommends it 6-0-0.
Listings from official town pages, checked by our desk. Each one links to its source.
The 2026 Fall Annual Town Meeting convenes Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. at Dartmouth High School, 555 Bakerville Road. The warrant has 17 articles; the Select Board and Finance Committee recommendations are in the town's packet.
The Finance Committee meets Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 6:45 p.m. at Dartmouth High School; its agenda lists the Fall Town Meeting, minutes and any late items.
The Agricultural Commission meets Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 6:30 p.m., per the town calendar.
In-person early voting: Saturdays and Sundays Oct. 17, 18, 24 and 25, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Mondays Oct. 19 and 26, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday (Oct. 20 to 22 and Oct. 27 to 29), 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Fridays Oct. 23 and 30, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
From the townEarly Voting event page (Oct. 18)Election Information (early voting schedule PDF)
The last day to register to vote for the Nov. 3 election is Saturday, Oct. 24, with the clerk's office listing 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. Precinct 1 votes at North Branch Library, 2 at Smith Mills Church Fellowship Hall, 3 at UMass Dartmouth, 4 at Dartmouth Bible Church, 5 at Town Hall, 6 at the Council on Aging, 7 at the DYAA building, 8 at Southworth Library Auditorium and 9 at the DYSA Fieldhouse.
The Select Board's recap lists nine proposed laws: public records for the Legislature and governor's office (1), collective bargaining for public defenders (2), an all-party primary (3), Election Day registration (4), a state revenue cap (5), a Nature for All Fund (6), single-family homes on 5,000-square-foot lots (7), ending retail recreational marijuana (8), and firearms law changes (9).
The Water and Sewer Department will flush water mains throughout town from Oct. 13 to Nov. 5, between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Discolored water or low pressure is possible; call 508-999-0742 if pressure does not recover after 8 p.m.
The Department of Public Works is reconstructing Flag Swamp Road from house number 213 to the Freetown line from Sept. 22 through Oct. 17, 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There is no parking Monday through Friday during those hours, and work depends on weather.
From the townRoadway Reconstruction Public Notice news flash
The Friends of the Dartmouth Libraries present a multimedia storytelling program on local haunts and legends, suitable for teens and adults, at North Branch Library, 211 Cross Street.
The Friends hold their fall book sale in the Haskell Room at Southworth Library, 732 Dartmouth Street. General hours are Thursday, Oct. 22, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 23, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. A members-only preview is Wednesday, Oct. 21, 4 to 7 p.m. Cash and checks only.
Fall storytime is Thursdays at 11 a.m. at Southworth Library through Dec. 10 (no session Nov. 26) and Mondays at 11 a.m. at North Branch through Dec. 7 (no session Oct. 12). Baby Songs is Wednesdays at 10 a.m. at Southworth through Dec. 2 (no session Nov. 11). No registration is needed.
The Dartmouth COA newsletter lists Everybody's Book Club for Monday, Oct. 19 at 1 p.m., walk-ins welcome; the October pick is Someone Else's Shoes. The same blurb says the club meets the second Monday, so the date should be confirmed with the center.
An author talk on a baseball book is Monday, Oct. 26 at 4:30 p.m. at the Council on Aging. It is free, limited to 40 people and requires preregistration; children must come with an adult.
A Beginner Watercolors class is Thursday, Oct. 29 at 10 a.m. with a 15-student maximum. The cost is $10 and preregistration is required.
The Council on Aging's Halloween Costume Party runs 1 to 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30 with a sundae bar and prizes for best costumes. Preregistration is required and the cost is $5.
Dartmouth Public Schools are closed Wednesday, Nov. 11.
Wednesday, Nov. 25 is a half day before Thanksgiving recess. There is no school Thursday, Nov. 26 or Friday, Nov. 27.
K-12 parent-teacher conferences are Dec. 7 and Dec. 16, both half days for students.
Article 1 asks Town Meeting to appropriate $1,000,000 from the Community Preservation Unrestricted Reserve for the Conservation Commission to buy a conservation restriction on about 29 acres at 970 Tucker Road (the Paskamansett Valley project).
Article 7 would appropriate and authorize borrowing of up to $5,500,000 for aeration upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant.
Article 5 would fund the FY2027 capital plan with $1,865,076 from surplus revenue, $1,645,000 from water retained earnings and $491,160 from sewer retained earnings. Listed items include four marked police cruisers ($292,314) and a school phone and intercom upgrade ($120,000).
Articles 2 to 4 would move $250,000 into the Stabilization Fund, $150,000 into a fund for collective bargaining and non-union agreements, and $300,000 into the Fund for Long Term Capital, all from surplus revenue.
Article 15 would require owners or occupants to clear snow from hard-surfaced sidewalks within 24 hours after snow stops or a snow emergency ends. The fine would be $25, rising to $300 for commercial property or property within one mile of a public school.
Other articles on the 17-article warrant include a tow service provider license bylaw (11), letting the Board of Public Works set public water system rules without Town Meeting approval (12), updated non-criminal fines for Board of Health and Public Works regulations (13), and a new personnel position (14).
Dartmouth is in Bristol County. Its top elected body is the Select Board.
We start with what the town posts: agendas, minutes, notices and budgets. Each story names the document it came from. If you know of a document we should read, send it with the town selected.