Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/page/17/)
Watertown City and State officials appeared before a joint committee at the State House on Jan. 27, 2026, to discuss the City’s Home Rule Petition. Pictured, from left, Steve Owens, George Proakis, John Lawn, Earl Smith, and Mark Sideris.
The City of Watertown’s effort to prevent a tax hike for residential property owners, which could be as high as 18%, cleared a major hurdle when it was approved the the House of Representatives on Beacon Hill.
Watertown residents will see an increase of 4.5% in both the water and sewer rates for the fiscal year that began on July 1, 2026, which is slightly higher than forecasted a year ago. However, the future increase could be significantly higher than projected due in part to an error made calculating future year revenues.
The Watertown Police Department is considering purchasing a drone like this one made by Paladin Drones (Photo from Paladin)
An automated drone is one of the new technologies being considered by the Watertown Police Department. On July 9, the City Council’s Public Safety Committee held a hearing to ask questions and hear from the public about the possible use of a drone.
Those looking to join other soccer fans in Watertown to catch the World Cup Final have two choices of venues to catch Sunday’s big game.
The Watertown Boys & Girls Club will hold the 2026 Stephen P. Mugar Memorial Golf Tournament on Monday, Aug. 3. Registration is open for golfers and the club seeks sponsorships in an effort to raise up to $80,000 in matching funds. See more details in the information from the Club, below.
The Watertown Farmers Market returns on June 10, 2026. (Courtesy of Watertown Farmers Market)
The Watertown Farmers Market season begins this week, with the first market of 2026 taking place on Wednesday. See more information about what to expect, how to get there, and food asssistance programs in the announcement provided by the Watertown Farmers Market, below.
Three Watertown students graduated from Boston College High School, and several made the school’s honor roll. See the information provided by BC High, below.
The Parade started the festivities for Watertown Pride 2026 on June 6. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
Watertown Pride returned to Watertown Square for the fifth year on Saturday, June 6, 2026.
Crews will be doing sidewalk work in multiple parts of Mt. Auburn Street this week, including in the business district in Coolidge Square. Businesses will remain open during the construction, some may be accessible only using rear entrances. See more details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below.
Six condos, a single family, a townhouse, and a two family were sold this week.
The following announcement was provided by the organizers of the Town Wide Yard Sale:
Join us for the 2026 Town Wide Yard Sale on Saturday, June 13th and Sunday June 14th!
State Rep. Steve Owens.
State Rep. Steve Owens will host a pair of office hours in Watertown during the month of June. See details in the announcement provided by Owen’s office, below.