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Town manager reports budget timeline, tax rates, earmarks, retirements and near-complete DPW facility
Summary
Town Manager Tom updated the Select Board on employee awards and retirements, upcoming budget meetings and several new state earmarks totaling roughly $130,000 for facade/signage, drainage and parking upgrades; he also reported the tax rate and new debt figures and said the DPW facility is near substantial completion.
Town Manager Tom updated the Select Board on personnel recognitions, budget timing, state earmarks and capital projects during the Nov. 18 meeting.
Tom described an employee appreciation breakfast that honored long-serving staff and presented awards, naming Ally Flag (payroll administrator) and Katie Lang (Spirit of Foxboro award) among recipients. He listed upcoming retirements across departments and recognized officers and staff for service.
On finance, Tom reminded the board of a Dec. 2 financial summit and reported that the tax rates for FY26 were approved at $13.00 for residential property and $18.24 for commercial/industrial and personal property; he stated the new debt amount for FY26 as $1,461,239. He also said two debt exclusions recently expired, reducing near-term debt service related to a joint public-safety building and Ahern School.
Tom described three state earmarks recently awarded to the town: $30,000 to establish a storefront façade and signage improvement grant program for uptown businesses, $25,000 for an engineering study and remediation plan for town drainage, and $75,000 for parking upgrades and wayfinding (primarily for the Central Street parking lot). He said the town had requested the drainage funding and that the earmarks will be administered by town staff.
Tom also reported a $10,000 grant used for supervisor training, more than 600 sign-ups for Fox Alerts (the town’s emergency/community information system), and open positions in Tree & Parks and public-works water and sewer. He said the new DPW facility is nearing substantial completion with final completion targeted by Dec. 31.
Next steps: staff will continue budget work ahead of the Dec. 2 financial summit and will develop program details for the earmarks and report back to the board as projects move forward.
