October 2, 2026
Hello All ~ Happy New Year ~ I wish you all a safe, HEALTHY, happy, peaceful, and prosperous New Year. By now you may have received your 2026 Annual Census form, or it may arrive during the first week of January. The 2026 census mailing includes a 2026 town calendar and town services directory. This is the 13th year the Clerk’s Office has provided a calendar in the census mailer. Over the past few years, we have received many compliments on how helpful the calendar has been during the year. In fact, residents have already called our office to see if the 2026 calendar was available yet. If you would like another copy of the calendar, please let us know; we will gladly share an extra copy, while supplies last. Thank you all for your kind comments and appreciation of the yearly town calendar. We hope you find the 2026 Town calendar addition to your census mailing a beneficial and time saving tool ~ Happy New Year and thank you for sending your completed census forms back to us as soon as possible! Due date is January 31st ~ thank you!
Continuing my goal of making town government more accessible to the residents, it is my hope that the calendar provides you with key information right at your fingertips. You will note, the calendar signals residents of upcoming due dates such as real estate tax payments, census forms and dog license renewals, which are highlighted in green; upcoming elections, rabies clinic and town meeting dates, which are highlighted in blue, and town department holidays that are bolded in red (whole day) and purple (half day). On the reverse side of the calendar, you will find a directory of the Town of Rehoboth’s departments, employees, and phone numbers. Also, included on the directory side of the calendar, you will find information and websites, which residents may find useful such as transfer station hours, burning permit information, school and library phone numbers, etc.
This year’s calendar features the Shad Factory Pond. Nestled along the banks of the Palmer River in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, the site now known as Shad Factory Pond, bears the layered imprint of New England’s early industrial era and natural heritage. In 1810 a group of Rehoboth citizens founded the Palmer River Manufacturing Company on the site of the old Joshua Smith grist and sawmill. By 1826 it had been renamed the Orleans Manufacturing Company and was producing fine cotton cloth. Powered by the river’s flow, the mill district flourished briefly, emblematic of the dawn of the American textile age. But the business was plagued by fires: it burned in 1831, was rebuilt, and finally succumbed to another blaze in 1884, ending operations. Around the same time, damming the river created the ponded water body we know today. By the early 20th century, the dam had been rebuilt—circa 1911-12—and the pond served as an impoundment of roughly 38 acres in the watershed. Over the ensuing decades the site shifted from industrial to ecological where the river and pond provided a spawning habitat for fish such as the American Shad and River Herring. Today, walkers and nature lovers come to pass the quietly flowing water, explore the stone and brick ruins of the old mill complex and rest on a bench beside the dam and fish ladder. The pond—once a hub of manufacturing energy—is now a place of reflection, reminding us of both our industrial past and the enduring rhythm of the river. For further exploration, please view the Orleans Manufacturing Company 3-minute video: https://youtu.be/jBu4RghhU7A We have so many historical properties in Rehoboth and I am thrilled we get to feature a different piece of Rehoboth history, each year, on our census calendars ~ please enjoy your 2026 Rehoboth census calendar!
ANNUAL TOWN CENSUS
As mentioned in last month’s article, the Board of Registrars is required to conduct an annual street listing (Census) of residents as of the first of January each year. In addition to the name, address, date of birth, occupation, veteran status with “war era” noted, and number of dogs, the form includes a section for school information required by the school department. Results of the census are used to prove residency for a variety of reasons. The data is used for state college entrance applications, veterans’ benefits, amending and establishing birth records, locating missing people, establishing precinct lines, predicting future school enrollment, state and federal funding to the town, police and fire protection, updating the voting list, and other legal purposes. Please remember to add your alternative phone number and e-mail to the census forms so we may contact you if needed ~ thank you!
Please review the pre-printed Census Form, make corrections, and return it no later than January 31st. You may choose to return the Census Form via the postal service or utilize Census drop off box at Town Hall – 340 Anawan Street or the drop off boxes also located at the Blanding Library, Bristol County Savings Bank, and the Senior Center located at 27 Francis Farm Road. Additionally, if you prefer, you can scan in your signed and completed census forms and email them to TownClerk@RehobothMA.gov .
This year’s census mailer has five inserts: the household census form & return envelope; the 2026 Calendar; the Annual Dog Licensing form; Polling Location and 2026 Election informational flyer, and a helpful insert regarding your household septic system. Please note the Annual Rehoboth-Seekonk Rabies Clinic is scheduled for Saturday, March 14th, 2026. For more information, please see the bottom of the Dog Licensing Form in the census mailer or under the Dog Licenses and Rabies Clinic sections of this article. Updated information will be shared on the Town Website at www.RehobothMA.gov Finally, new residents may receive a blank 2026 census form, which they are asked to complete and return. If you do not receive a Census Form by the second week of January, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office 508-252-6502 X-3112, 3109 or 3110. Blank Census forms are also available on the town website @ http://www.town.rehoboth.ma.us/town-clerk/pages/census-information
Failure to return the completed census form may result in voters being placed on an inactive voting list or being removed from the voting list.
Residents are requested to please send in their census forms as quickly as possible regardless of whether or not they license their dogs at this time. Census forms are due no later than 1-31-26 ~ Thank You!
2026 DOG LICENSES
The 2026 Dog Licenses are now available and may be purchased through the Town Clerk’s Office. Again in 2026, residents will be able to renew their dog licenses online with a Debit/Credit Card or Electronic Check (ACH/EFT). Those dog owners who registered their dogs on our online dog licensing program “Permiteyes” in previous years, know they were able to register their dogs online through the town’s permitting program on the Town Website @ https://www.rehobothma.gov/home/pages/online-permitting - please look for the Green “Dog Licensing” button and search for your dog’s record. Instructions on how to use the online permitting program can be found online at: https://www.rehobothma.gov/town-clerk/pages/dog-licenses .
Whether renewing online, via mail, in person, through the outside drop box or census drops around town, dog license applications must be accompanied by a current year rabies certificate (with a vaccination date covering the current licensing year) and proof of spay or neuter [if applying for the $10 licensing fee] unless we already have your documentation on file in the Clerk’s Office. If you are unsure, please give our office a call and we can tell you how up-to-date our information is or you can simply search the information on the Permiteyes Dog Licensing program located on the town website: https://www.rehobothma.gov/home/pages/online-permitting . Dog owners should note that the license(s) will not be returned unless a stamped, self-addressed envelope is included (the current postage is 74¢ for one dog tag, $1.03 for two or three dog tags and $1.32 for four dog tags).
Reminder, all residents 70-years old or over do not need to pay the $10 or $20 yearly dog licensing fee. I submitted an article at the May 8, 2017 Annual Town Meeting (Article 15) requesting Town Meeting vote to accept MGL CHAPTER 140 SECTION 139(c), which states “No fee shall be charged for a license issued under this section for a service animal as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act or regulations promulgated thereunder. No fee shall be charged for a license for a dog owned by a person aged 70 years or over in a city or town that accepts this provision”. Town meeting did approve the acceptance of MGL Chapter 140 Section 139 (c), which permits the Town Clerk’s Office to waive dog licensing fees for service animals and for dogs owned by any Rehoboth resident 70 years of age and older. Proof of rabies vaccinations for each dog and proof of the dog owner’s age (70 or older) is required and you do need to renew your dog’s license each year. As per Town Counsel, the waiving of fees does not include Kennel Fees.
THE ANNUAL TOWN ELECTION
The Annual Town Election for the Town of Rehoboth will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, with the polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. – Polling Location for all four precincts is Francis Farm Community Center (27 Francis Farm Road) – Heritage Meeting Hall formerly known as the Museum building. If you would like to review the facility and layout of the polling location, please visit the Town Website at:
Additional details will be communicated as we get closer to the election. As always, the Town Website will have updated polling information when available.
Nomination papers are now available for any registered voter in Rehoboth wishing to run for election on the Town ballot and who chooses not to seek a nomination through their registered party’s caucus process. Nomination papers may be picked up by prospective candidates, at the Town Clerk’s office (340 Anawan Street/Route 118) beginning January 2, 2026, and must be returned, signed by a minimum of 50 registered voters. All signed and completed nomination papers are due back to the Board of Registrars at the Town Clerk’s Office by 5 p.m. on, or before, Tuesday, February 17th.
Positions to be elected on the ballot for 2026 are Moderator (one for 1 year), Board of Selectmen (two position for 3 years), Assessor (one for 3 years), School Committee (two for 3 years), Housing Authority (one for five years), Planning Board (one for 5 years), Park Commission (one for 5 years), Constable (one position for 3 years) and Water Commissioner (two positions for 3 years).
I will make available the date, time, and location of the Annual Town Election Caucuses once my office is notified by the respective Town Committees.
The final voter registration date, to be eligible to vote in the Annual Town Election, is scheduled for Saturday, March 28th from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Prospective voters are reminded that they may also register to vote online at www.RegisterToVoteMA.com , by calling the Town Clerk’s Office to request a Mail-In voter registration form, or download a form @ http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/Voter-reg-mail-in.pdf
ABSENTEE & MAIL-IN BALLOT REQUESTS
Applications for absentee ballots are available as of January 2nd and may be obtained from the Town Clerk’s Office or online @
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/absentee/English-Absentee-Ballot-Application.pdf
An absentee ballot may only be obtained by written request and with the voter’s original signature. Most voters do not qualify to receive an absentee ballot to be sent to them. Massachusetts allows voters that QUALIFY to vote by absentee ballot if the voter is one of the following:
If you do not qualify for an “Absentee Ballot”, you can vote by mail by completing the “No Excuse” Vote by Mail ballot application detailed below this paragraph.
NO EXCUSE EARLY VOTING BY MAIL – “VOTE BY MAIL”
The 2022-Votes Act legislation approved in June of 2022, allows voters who do not qualify for an Absentee Ballot to vote by mail by completing the “Vote by Mail” application @
Applications for both absentee and vote-by-mail must be received by the Town Clerk by 5PM on the 5th business day before an election. We recommend applying earlier than the deadline as the US Postal delivery services outside of Rehoboth are not consistent and can range from 2 to 11 days.
BUSINESS CERTIFICATES
Business owners whose business certificate will expire from January through June of 2026 should have received a reminder for renewal. The renewal fee is $50.00 (certificate renewal is good for four years) and checks should be made payable to: The Town of Rehoboth. If you prefer to renew online, you may use the debit/credit card/ ACH/EFT payment method on the town website. However, your signature must be notarized on the business certificate renewal form then scanned and e-mailed to the Town Clerk’s office. Free notary services are available in various offices at Town Hall. Debit/Credit Card or Electronic Check (ACH/EFT) transactions may also be processed through the Town Clerk’s office, in addition to online.
Questions or suggestions regarding any of the above topics may be directed to the Town Clerk’s Office, Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, 508-252-6502, X3109, X3112 or X3110.
In closing, Kerrie, Jenn and I wish all of our town residents a happy, safe, peaceful, healthy, and prosperous New Year. Final reminders, Town Offices will be closed on Monday, January 19th in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Real Estate Taxes are due Monday, February 2, 2026 ~ thank you. Please stay safe and I look forward to talking with you in February.
Sincerely,
Laura
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