Easton Council on Aging Loses Three and a Half Positions, Pool Stays Closed

EASTON -- May 14, 2026, Easton's Council on Aging reported the loss of three and a half full-time equivalent positions and confirmed its outdoor pool will remain closed this summer. Meeting without its chair or vice chair on May 14, the board heard from the COA director that the department has shed the transportation coordinator, full-time driver, part-time drivers, and its town-funded administrative assistant over two budget cycles tied to an ongoing municipal budget crisis. The director said grant money from the state Executive Office of Aging and Independence, combined with program fee revenue, will fund the administrative assistant position for one more year, with the town covering benefits; she warned that reduced driver hours and the possible elimination of one weekly fitness class are likely consequences. The outdoor pool, which served 13 member families in its last open season and runs at a net loss of roughly $40,000 per year, will not open because neither the department nor a DPW also short on staff can support its preparation and operation. Two April ballot questions that would have provided additional municipal funding for police, fire, and DPW both failed, removing that revenue option from town meeting. Member Jean Shearing, an 18-year council veteran, announced she will not seek reappointment and is expected to step down at the end of June.