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Committee recommends paying unpaid DPW bills and transferring free cash to cover refuse shortfall
Summary
Brockton’s Finance Committee recommended favorably several orders to pay unpaid DPW, water and sewer bills, and a $134,735 transfer from certified free cash to the refuse enterprise after officials warned the refuse fund could see a FY26 deficit exceeding $1 million without action.
The Finance Committee recommended favorably a group of orders to approve unpaid prior-year DPW, sewer and water invoices and to transfer $134,735 from certified free cash to the DPW refuse retained earnings account.
CFO Troy Clarkson said DPW processes roughly 2,746 invoices annually totaling about $57,191,000 and that staffing shortages have contributed to late payments. "The DPW in total pays 2,746 invoices per year, to the tune of $57,191,000," Clarkson said. Commissioner Pat Hill confirmed the city will pursue options to shore up refuse finances, including fee adjustments for bulky-item disposal and meetings with local mattress-recycling businesses.
Clarkson told the committee that if no fees are raised the refuse enterprise "could exceed $1,000,000" in deficit for FY26; Hill gave an approximate figure of $1,200,000. Councilors discussed penalties, the split of vendor invoices among enterprise funds, and possible ordinance-committee remedies. The committee recommended the bills and transfers favorably; follow-up work on fee structure and ordinance changes is expected in January.
