Halifax Board Approves Fire Chief Contract, Opens Special Town Meeting Warrant

HALIFAX — June 23, 2026 — Halifax Select Board opens special town meeting warrant and limits town counsel to 35-day reappointment. The board voted unanimously Tuesday to open the warrant for a special town meeting set for July 29 at Halifax Elementary School, following a certified citizen petition; the warrant closes July 7. The board approved three-year and one-year contracts respectively for Fire Chief Michael Witham and Deputy Police Chief Theodore Benner, and ratified a fire union side agreement, all unanimously. In the most contested action of the evening, town counsel Brooks and DeRensis was reappointed for only 35 days after resident Alan raised concerns about roughly $45,000 in "general matters" billing, a $64,000 question over a 2022 zoning bylaw appropriation, and pending MBTA-related litigation costs. The board also voted unanimously to direct its police and fire chiefs to evaluate a locked gate with a Knox box at the Fourth Avenue boat ramp on the Twin Lakes, where more than a dozen residents testified about reckless jet-ski operation, blocked emergency access, and open alcohol consumption throughout the summer.