NA Town Councilor Dan Donovan

06/04/2026

Mark your calendars - the 6th season of North Attleborough Farmers Market kicks off this coming Saturday June 6, 2026 at Veterans Park in front of Town Hall. It should be warm and dry so come on down!

🌽 The North Attleborough Farmers Market Returns This Saturday! 🌽

We're excited to kick off the 6th Annual North Attleborough Farmers Market this Saturday and begin another season of supporting local farms, makers, artisans, and small businesses!

📅 Opening Day: Saturday, June 6
⏰ 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Veterans Park

This year, we've moved to Saturday mornings, making it even easier for families and community members to enjoy the market each week.

Opening Day will feature:
- Over 50+ vendors
- Fresh produce and local foods
- Handmade goods and artisan products
- Live music
- Delicious food and treats
- A fun community atmosphere

We'll also be holding an official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 10:00 AM to celebrate the start of our 6th season.

Whether you're a longtime supporter or planning your first visit, we invite you to come shop local, connect with neighbors, and help us make Opening Day a great success.

We look forward to seeing you Saturday!

06/03/2026

Good government means balancing fiscal responsibility with community investment.

Residents expect their local government to manage taxpayer dollars carefully — and they should. That includes maintaining strong financial reserves, planning responsibly for long-term obligations, and making thoughtful decisions about spending.

But responsible government also means recognizing that parks, playgrounds, pools, fields, schools, and other community spaces are not frivolous luxuries. They are investments in the quality of life of the people who live here, especially our children and families.

There will always be debate about priorities, costs, and timing. That’s healthy and appropriate. But I do not believe every investment in our community should automatically be viewed through the lens of fear, suspicion, or negativity.

North Attleborough can be both fiscally responsible and committed to maintaining the facilities and services that residents use every day. Those goals are not mutually exclusive.

I remain committed to thoughtful budgeting, transparency, and making decisions that keep North Attleborough a strong community not just for today’s residents, but for future generations as well.

06/02/2026

Community Rec Magazine recently highlighted Lenore’s Pantry & Market, and it’s a meaningful reminder of what this community has built together over many years.

What began decades ago through the quiet compassion of our longtime Public Health Nurse, Lenore Paquin, has grown into a modern, dignified, market-style pantry that now serves hundreds of households with fresh food, household essentials, and—just as importantly—respect for the people who walk through its doors.

The partnership between the Town of North Attleboro and the Hockomock Area YMCA has helped carry Lenore’s legacy forward in a way that reflects the best of who we are: neighbors supporting neighbors.

I encourage everyone to read the article and learn more about this important resource in our community.

The Hockomock Area YMCA recently opened Lenore’s Panty & Market to help fight food insecurity in the community.

06/01/2026

One of the things I’ve come to appreciate in local government is the difference between healthy skepticism and reflexive opposition.

In every community, there are people whose first instinct is “no.” No to change. No to investment. No to new ideas. No to revisiting old policies. No before the facts are even fully discussed.

But effective government cannot operate from a permanent posture of “no.”

That doesn’t mean every proposal should pass. Far from it. In North Attleborough, the Town Council and Town Manager regularly say no to ideas that are impractical, financially irresponsible, legally problematic, or simply not ready. Accountability matters. Stewardship matters.

But the goal should never be to shut down the conversation before it starts.

Instead, the better approach is: “How do we get to yes?”

Sometimes that means modifying a proposal. Sometimes it means improving the financial plan. Sometimes it means updating outdated bylaws or regulations. Sometimes the answer ultimately is no — but only after the issue has been studied, alternatives considered, and tradeoffs honestly discussed.

Communities don’t move forward when the loudest voices are simply opposed to everything. They move forward when people are willing to engage seriously, work collaboratively, and solve problems thoughtfully.

Every decision has consequences. Every refusal has tradeoffs. Leadership means being honest about them.

05/31/2026

05/27/2026

How municipal hiring works in relation to the Town Council’s role is sometimes misunderstood.

The Town Council serves as the town’s legislative body, and its role is primarily to:

▪Enact local ordinances and bylaws
▪Approve the annual operating budget
▪Appropriate funding for programs and services
▪Authorize borrowing and capital expenditures
▪Confirm certain department head appointments, as outlined in the Town Charter
▪Provide policy direction through its legislative authority under the Charter

Once funding for a program or initiative is approved, implementation—including hiring for non-department head positions—falls under the authority of the Town Manager and municipal administration.

This separation of authority is also clearly outlined in the Town Charter:

𝑆𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 2-5(𝑑)(1) – 𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠:
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑙 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑦𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛, 𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛, 𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑑𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑀𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒.

In other words, the Council does not vote on or select individual employees for most municipal positions. Those hiring decisions are made administratively within the scope of approved budgets and programs.

When items appear on a Council agenda, they typically reflect funding authorization, program approval, or legislative action, not individual personnel decisions.

This distinction helps clarify what is—and is not—within the Council’s role under the Town Charter.

05/25/2026

Memorial Day is more than the unofficial start of summer.

Today, on Memorial Day, we pause as a community and as a nation to honor the men and women of North Attleborough and across the United States who gave their lives in service to our country.

These are members of our community—sons and daughters, neighbors, classmates, and friends—who answered the call to serve and never returned home. Their sacrifice is the reason we are able to gather freely, raise our families in safety, and participate in the work of local government.

As we reflect on Memorial Day, I hope we all take time—beyond cookouts and the unofficial start of summer—to remember the true meaning of the day: remembrance, gratitude, and respect for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

We owe them our gratitude. We owe their families our respect. And we owe their memory our remembrance.

05/25/2026

Thank you to everyone who organized and participated in Saturday’s Memorial Day Ceremony at Barrows Veterans Memorial Park. While I was in Wisconsin for my nephew’s wedding and unable to attend, I spent part of the weekend reading about the ceremony and reflecting on what Memorial Day truly means.

Since becoming a Town Councilor, this was the first Memorial Day ceremony I’ve missed. Not because attending is simply part of the job, but because this day — and this ceremony — genuinely matter to me.

I was especially struck by Town Manager Borg’s reminder that Memorial Day is “not a day off, it’s a day of accounting,” and by the many speakers who emphasized that this is a day not just to honor military service, but to remember sacrifice. Every name on a memorial represents a person who had dreams, family, friendships, and a future they willingly put at risk for the country they loved.

Reading about 103-year-old WWII veteran Cas Salemi reflecting on the camaraderie of those he served beside, and hearing about generations of families answering the call to serve, is a powerful reminder that the freedoms we enjoy today came at an extraordinary cost.

Thank you to our veterans, Gold Star families, scouts, musicians, elected officials, and all who helped continue this important tradition of remembrance in North Attleborough.

By Geena Monahan—For the North Star Reporter To the sound of the Colonial Pipers Bagpipe Band playing “God Bless America,” residents gathered at Barrows Veterans Memorial Park to honor the nation’s fallen service members. The ceremony blended patriotic music, historical context and personal ...

05/21/2026

The Town of North Attleborough is pleased to announce a two-week celebration in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence. 

05/20/2026

There are sometimes questions about what information municipalities can and cannot release under public records requests, particularly when it involves public employees and personnel-related matters.

This can lead to the assumption that all information connected to public employees is fully available to the public. In reality, Massachusetts law draws a clear distinction between information related to public duties and operations, and information that is considered personal in nature.

Under Massachusetts Public Records Law (primarily M.G.L. c. 66, §§ 10–10A, and related exemptions in M.G.L. c. 4, § 7, cl. 26), certain categories of personnel-related information are exempt from disclosure when releasing them would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. This includes home address information for public employees.

This exemption is applied consistently by municipalities across the Commonwealth. It applies not only to street addresses themselves, but also to information that would effectively confirm or deny where a specific employee resides.

Because of that, even a simple “yes” or “no” response to questions about the residency of named employees is generally considered protected personnel information and is not something a municipality can release in response to a public records request.

The key distinction is that public transparency laws are designed to ensure accountability in government operations, decision-making, and the use of public resources, while also protecting certain categories of personal information that the Legislature has determined should remain private.

This topic sometimes comes up in broader discussions about residency expectations for municipal employees and officials, which is why it’s important to understand what information is and isn’t publicly available under Massachusetts law.