Acton finance committee: Q2 shows steady revenues, free cash certified at $6.78 million

Ellie Anderson, the Town of Acton budget director, told the Finance Committee that the town's FY2026 second-quarter financial position is largely on track. Through December, general fund collections stood at roughly 49.25% (about $30.5 million), and the Department of Revenue certified free cash at $6,777,343.

Anderson walked members through individual enterprise and revolving funds. She said property tax collections and net state aid were steady, with net state aid at 58.65% collected and local receipts at about 44.49% through the end of Q2. She cautioned that some revenue lines are seasonal: motor vehicle excise generates most receipts later in the fiscal year, and several revolving funds (recreation programs, building inspector fees, Crosstown Connect) typically collect more in the spring or summer.

On capital and spending, Anderson highlighted that the transfer station appears to show a deficit this year because the budget intentionally appropriated retained earnings to buy a front-end loader; she estimated the equipment and tires cost about $230,000 and said the purchase was expected to reduce a near-term surplus. "I would attribute that deficit to the purchase of the front-end loader," Anderson said.

Other enterprise fund details Anderson gave: the sewer fund has a certified fund balance of $2,046,296 after year-to-date collections of about $957,000; the ambulance fund has collected roughly $810,000 of a $1,427,500 target and carries a certified fund balance of $428,222; the commuter lot parking fund had collected $108,813 (noting a subsidy of $100,000 to the transportation enterprise fund reflected in the slide).

Committee members probed specific lines. One member asked why building inspector fees were lower year-to-date than the prior year; Anderson explained the building cycle is seasonal and the department is typically busier in spring months. On the fire alarm network, members asked about the fund balance and the effect of planned decommissioning. Town Manager John Manduragi told the committee the alarm network is an aging, largely field-based program that has generated intermittent overtime costs and that the town is phasing the system out over the next two to three years.

What happens next: Anderson said the Q2 report will be posted to the Town of Acton website and that staff will continue to monitor seasonal revenue timing and the impacts of one-time capital purchases. No formal votes were taken on the financial report.