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Dighton approves FY27 budget using free cash; attempted restore of assessor staffing fails
Summary
Voters approved the town'9s FY27 spending articles, including education and public-safety allocations and capital purchases, while an amendment to restore a third assessor position was tabled after hand votes and failed reconsideration.
Dighton voters on June 1 approved the town'9s fiscal-year 2027 spending plan and a series of line-item appropriations, after an extended public discussion that included an unsuccessful bid to restore funding for the assessors'9 office.
The finance committee presented the budget as a 2 percent increase over FY26, with education accounting for most of the rise. Peter Roach, chairman of the finance committee, told the meeting the budget "represents a 2% increase over 26," and said the plan uses $465,000 in free cash while reducing five full-time equivalent positions by attrition and other adjustments.
Why it matters: The FY27 package funds core services and capital needs but relies on one-time reserves, a choice that residents and assessors warned could limit flexibility. During debate, William Moore, chairman of the board of assessors, argued that proposed staffing cuts would overload the assessors'9 office and risk missed deadlines or state fines: "If we do not have all three people working in that office, we are going to end up with a backlog," he said.
Residents and committee members split over whether to decide a single-line amendment immediately. Moore moved to amend the personnel line to restore the assessors'9 requested staffing; after discussion the meeting voted to table the amendment by hand count (85 yes, 41 no). A later motion to take the amendment off the table failed (46 yes, 70 no), leaving the original appropriation in place.
Other notable votes: The meeting approved transfers and appropriations across the budget: a transfer from the ambulance fund to public-safety accounts, the education assessment of $15,974,512, highway and streets funding, sanitation and environmental accounts, human services, PEG access transfers to culture and recreation, Title 5 debt transfers, employee benefits, and liability insurance. Many motions were recorded as passing unanimously.
Capital and personnel context: The budget includes several capital items approved during the meeting. Voters authorized a five-year lease‑purchase for a police administrative vehicle and approved a roughly $295,000 purchase for a highway plow truck, a point of contention for residents who criticized equipment purchases while positions were being reduced. Town officials countered that multiple highway vehicles exceed 30 years in service and that replacing aging equipment averts higher repair costs.
What'9s next: With the budget and line items approved, departments will implement FY27 plans. Residents who sought reconsideration of the assessor amendment were not successful; the moderator later confirmed the finance committee appointments for the coming year.
Votes at a glance: Article 5 (omnibus FY27 spending): motion carried; assessor staffing amendment tabled (85-41) and remained tabled after failed reconsideration (46-70). Education assessment: approved ($15,974,512). Highway plow truck purchase (Article 15): approved. Police vehicle lease (Article 14): approved. Several other line items and transfers under Article 5 passed as presented.
