Charlestown Mayor Treva Hodges says a big part of what keeps her city of roughly 9,000 residents connected is community events, like festivals, children’s camps and popup events at parks.

Some of that could look different next year.

The Charlestown City Council passed a 2026 budget last month that included cuts across the board compared to this year, except for police. The parks department took the biggest hit with a $115,000 cut, followed by around $70,000 from city maintenance.

Hodges said that will mean fewer free events next year, and the city may have to charge fees for the ones it hosts. It will likely mean shorter park hours and less overtime for maintenance staff, which could be a big deal if there’s a lot of snow.

These changes come as Charlestown and other local taxing units

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