Select Board Reappoints Town Counsel Despite Low Scores

Select Board · Meeting of June 17, 2026

Ashland's Select Board voted unanimously to reappoint its town counsel despite a rocky performance review. Members kept Lisa Mead's firm, Mead, Tallerman and Costa, under contract through June 30, 2027, even after an internal evaluation averaged 2.84 out of 5 across ten criteria. Mead pushed back on the scores, saying "I don't really believe that the scores are reflective of the work that we actually provide to the town." Member Claudia Bennett proposed shifting future 40B housing cases to a different attorney, citing a perceived conflict of interest after the firm represented both Ashland and the developer of the 10-60 Main Street project in a separate case; the board did not vote on that proposal.

Member Joseph Magnani said changing counsel now "would not be for the betterment of the town." The board separately approved $57,000 in Boston Marathon grants, $8,413.50 in community grants, and a home rule petition for 10 additional liquor licenses.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,223 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of June 17, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.