Page 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUnE 5, 2026 Saugus celebrates the college degrees of Maureen Whitcomb and her quadruplets with a graduation party By Laura Eisener S unday afternoon a delightful graduation party was held at the Italian American Club for the last two members of the Whitcomb family who graduated from UMass Lowell this May. ZERO PERCENT | FROM PAGE 1 of how the new meters will affect future bills has any bearing on the upcoming Town Meeting vote on whether to increase water rates. The Finance Committee was scheduled to meet Wednesday night, which was after the deadline for The Saugus Advocate. Depending on the action taken by the Finance Committee in recommending a handful of articles (including the town and School Department budgets), Town Meeting could reconvene as early as next Monday night (June 8) for what could be the fourth and final session of this year’s Annual Town Meeting. The remaining five articles include consideration of a possible water rate increase. An article in The Advocate on Friday, May 22, outlined how five members of a Saugus family, Maureen Whitcomb and her quadruplets, all graduated from UMass Lowell a few years apart, the first generations of their family to get their college deDuring selectmen’s afternoon session on Tuesday, Abrahams presented three options for selectmen to consider: • A 6 percent increase in the sewer rate, which would result in a $239 bill twice a year for the average residential user – a $28 increase. The average commercial user would pay a bill of $2,220 twice a year – a $252 increase. • A 5 percent increase in the sewer rate, which would result in a $237 bill twice a year for the average residential user – a $22 increase. The average commercial user would pay a bill of $2,199 twice a year – a $210 increase. • A 4 percent increase in the sewer rate, which would result in a $235 bill twice a year for the average residential user – an $18 increase. The average grees! By encouraging each other to achieve their goals, they kept going through tough times and pulled off a spectacular Saugus success story. The family was even mentioned on People.com in an online article written by Sam Gillette and published commercial user would pay a bill of $2,178 twice a year – a $168 increase. Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Anthony Cogliano said he opposed any increase in the sewer bill because of his concerns about the accuracy of water meter readings, particularly on properties he owns. “I have four homes in Saugus. One has 17 people living in it. That’s a four family house with 17 people. The bill was $1,200,” Cogliano said of a recent water bill. “I have another three family home with nine people living in it. You combine those two houses, the bill was $3,100 between the two houses. I have two houses with five people in one and four in another, and the bill was $7,200. I’m not voting for anything until I figure out what’s going on with these May 19, 2026, so the story of this Saugus success is now known far beyond Massachusetts’ borders. Maureen worked hard to enable her four children to grow up and attend college. Her two daughters Diana and Colette began attending bills. That’s just it. I’m not doing it,” he said. Cogliano also mentioned the abatements that 15 residents had filed for on their water bills. Selectman Frank Federico initially said he was not ready to vote for any increase after receiving his package of information on Abrahams’ analysis on short notice. Later, he told colleagues that he had received feedback from residents urging him to vote against any increase. Selectman Jeff Cicolini was prepared to vote for an increase, until Cogliano and Federico expressed their opposition to voting for a rate increase. “I don’t feel comfortable if we’re going to have two members who feel like zero percent is appropriate. That puts us in a tough spot as a classes at UMass Lowell first, choosing the school’s Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences. They both graduated in 2023, Diana getting a GRADUATION PARTY | SEE PAGE 3 group, as a board,” Cicolini said. “And I understand, and I’m not saying who’s right and who’s wrong. But the operating costs are the operating costs. Do we have the retained earnings to absorb it for one year? Yes,” he said. If selectmen didn’t vote to increase the sewer rates, they would have to use $1.2 million from the retained earnings to balance the budget, Abrahams told selectmen. “We’re budgeted to use $1.2 million, but it’s really $600,000,” Cicolini said, noting that the town never used the $600,000 in retained earnings this year. Cicolini pointed out that the 2021 Fiscal Year was the last time the town’s sewer budget ran at a deficit. “A lot of our retained earnings have accumulated over the last five years,” he said. Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree urged selectmen to carefully consider and understand the potential consequences in making their decision. “When you go with a zero, it’s very difficult to make up that zero,” he said. Crabtree recalled that the sewer budget had constantly run at a deficit before his administration took over. “I think we’ve done a good job stabilizing these accounts,” he said. Selectman Michael Serino said he thought it was a wise decision for selectmen to wait and see the amount of money the new meters would bring in. And based on that information, selectmen would be in a better position to decide future rate increases. About 7,900 out of 9,600 of Saugus property owners have ZERO PERCENT | SEE PAGE 12
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