Uxbridge passes on a final recommendation for multi‑motion Blackstone water plant borrowing; staff provides rate examples

Article 13, regarding additional borrowing authorization for the Blackstone Water Treatment Plant (DPW project), was discussed in detail on April 16. Town counsel supplied three draft motions the afternoon of the meeting: (1) a supplemental amount of approximately $11.65 million to bring the base appropriation to about $21.15 million; (2) an alternate adding about $1.4 million (bringing a subtotal to $22.6 million); and (3) additional alternates that together could bring the total to about $24.2 million if all passed.

Committee members said they received these motions and related materials too late in the day to conduct the level of review they prefer for an article with meaningful rate and borrowing implications. Town staff provided illustrative rate estimates for a typical household in different debt timing scenarios: an example showed roughly a $34.78 per quarter increase in an earlier period and a later‑year illustrative increase of about $139.27 per quarter under heavier debt load assumptions. Staff emphasized these were scenario examples and committed to delivering more detailed, itemized rate modeling before the committee reconvened.

Given the timing and the magnitude of potential rate impacts, the Finance Committee agreed to pass over Article 13 and to schedule a focused meeting prior to Town Meeting to review final motions and a complete rate‑impact analysis. Committee members also noted that any decision to approve large alternates should be accompanied by clear communications to ratepayers and the public.