Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/page/7/)
Watertown City and State officials appeared before a joint committee at the State House on Jan. 27, 2026. Pictured, from left, Steve Owens, George Proakis, John Lawn, Earl Smith, and Mark Sideris.
City officials from Watertown joined state representatives on Beacon Hill to request an extension to a bill that allowed Watertown to shift more of the property tax burden from residential properties to commercial properties. The shift would allow a 50/50 split, instead of the current requirements of state law to have 61 percent of the tax levy coming from residential properties.
Longtime dining destination, Not Your Average Joe’s, will be closing after more than a quarter century in Watertown Square.
The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department.
Steve Magoon
Steve Magoon has seen the transformation of large sections of Watertown, and played a major role in the creation of some of the City’s most important planning documents during his time working for the City. Magoon will retire at the end of January after more than 17 years as director of the Department of Community Development and Planning.
The City of Watertown will not declare a snow emergency for the storm that began Sunday, Jan. 18, but on-street parking is prohibited overnight. See details in the announcement from the City, below.
UPDATE (Jan. 18, 1:30 p.m.): The start of Monday’s Unity Breakfast will be pushed back an hour and will now begin at 9:30 a.m., organizers announced Sunday. Spots are still available for the annual event at the Hellenic Cultural Center. See more info below.
While the majority of the Mt. Auburn Street Project has paused for the winter, drainage work continues on small portions of the roadway. See details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below.
Three condos and a pair of two-family homes were sold this week.
The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Boys & Girls Club:
Watertown Boys & Girls Club is delighted to announce that registration is now open for its 2026 Club Adventure Summer Camp, a full-day summer camp program providing fun, safe, and enriching programming for youth ages 7–12 years.
James DeMarco grew up in Watertown and became a goaltender at age 5. It’s his life’s passion to stand between the pipes and keep the puck out of the net.
The Watertown Public Schools may ask the City to tap the Special Education Stabilization Fund created several years ago for a rainy day. The 2026-27 School Budget may be stormy, as the district faces a shortfall of $2.5 million as of Monday’s School Committee meeting. Other ways to make up shortfalls may include reinstating athletics and extracurricular fees.
The following announcement was provided by the Charles River Watershed Association:
Join CRWA staff and City of Watertown officials for an in-depth conversation about stormwater — what it is, how stormwater pollution impacts the Charles River, and the major challenges municipalities face in managing it.