City finance officials told the Brockton Finance Committee on Dec. 1 that multiple DPW enterprise funds require payments for prior-year invoices and that the refuse enterprise faces structural pressure that may produce a six- to seven-figure FY26 deficit without action.

CFO Troy Clarkson and DPW Commissioner Pat Hill presented orders to pay unpaid prior-year bills across refuse, stormwater, highway, sewer and water funds, listing vendors such as Republic Services, Apex Engineering and Altus Power. Clarkson said DPW processes roughly 2,746 invoices annually totaling about $57.2 million and attributed delays to staffing shortages and routing issues; he and DPW business manager Megan McKee said staff have been working to reconcile outstanding items.

Hill described a recurring, performance-based $68,000 SDEP recycling award used for barrels, outreach and CCTV upgrades to deter illegal dumping. On the refuse enterprise, officials said annual trash tonnage is about 25,000 tons and noted enforcement efforts have generated roughly $19,000 in fines paid to date with about $10,000 outstanding. The city plans to meet with Green Mattress (a regional mattress-handling company) to explore options and will consider targeted fee adjustments (mattress or bulky-item fees) rather than raising a universal household trash fee. Officials also asked the ordinance committee to consider fee changes and proposed transferring $134,735 from certified free cash into the refuse retained earnings to close the prior-year shortfall; the Finance Committee recommended that transfer favorably.

Committee members pressed for more data and annual reporting; staff said they will return to the ordinance committee with proposals in early January. The committee recommended all related orders to pay invoices and authorize transfers to the full City Council.