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Town Meeting approves FY2027 town operating and multiple capital articles; several enterprise items and infrastructure projects pass
Summary
Town Meeting approved the consolidated FY2027 operating appropriation ($54.37M), enterprise fund budgets, water/wastewater and septage capital items, vehicle leasing and other projects. Multiple articles passed by voice or standing vote; the library borrowing motion was the largest contested measure and failed to achieve the two‑thirds threshold.
Town Meeting on April 28 approved the town’s consolidated FY2027 operating appropriation and a broad set of capital and enterprise items that were presented during the warranted session.
Select Board and Finance Committee presenters moved Article 2, which consolidated operating budgets and transfers and sought a total appropriation of $54,370,811; the finance committee recommended approval and the article passed on a standing/voice vote. Enterprise funds for golf, water, septic and wastewater (Articles 3–6) were presented as fee‑supported and carried by voice vote.
Capital appropriations passed for water and sewer infrastructure (including Article 17, a $2.8M appropriation to rehabilitate an equalization tank funded via septic revenues), police vehicle financing (Article 12 was a two‑thirds standing vote that carried), and ongoing annual capital items for public works and recreation. Article 16 authorized National Grid to install natural‑gas service for the new water resource recovery facility to support backup generators; Article 19 and related wastewater planning articles were approved to advance recharge and Bayberry Hills planning.
Community Preservation Act articles (24–28) allocated estimated FY2027 CPA revenues (~$2.25M) across housing, historic preservation and open‑space projects. The CPC explained that funding recommendations included local affordable‑housing set‑asides, Habitat for Humanity projects, emergency repair loans, coastal resiliency matching, culvert design for Crowell Pond and preservation projects. Town counsel noted Department of Revenue guidance supports the types of housing stabilization and rental assistance programs proposed by CPC.
Most warrant articles were approved; several required standing or two‑thirds votes and were counted per the moderator’s directions. The library borrowing motion (Article 15) was the single large borrowing request that failed to achieve the necessary two‑thirds vote.
