UPDATED March 24: Meeting on successive Fridays this month, the Long Range Planning Committee is reviewing the Town of Arlington’s five-year financial projections -- and the town manager already believes that an override will be necessary this year to achieve the appropriate budget for the town’s financial goals.

“The meeting today really concluded that we are going to need another override soon,” Town Manager Sandy Pooler told YourArlington, referring to the March 10 meeting. “We were really focusing on the possibility of having one this spring, or probably in June.”

The committee met again March 17 and did not change its view about proceeding with an override this year, according to those present. The panel plans to meet again March 24. 

UPDATED March 9: Arlington has been told good news about its proposed state-aid figures from Gov. Maura Healey's proposed $55.5 billion state budget:

“[The numbers] were up substantially from what our original estimates were,” Town Manager Sandy Pooler said during the Select Board meeting on Feb. 27. “We thought [it] would be $750,000 in additional state aid -- and it’s close to $3 million.”

That amount is more than triple the earlier estimate.

The precise number is $2,837,556, according to a breakdown provided by Pooler March 3. The figure appears in the category of “net state aid” toward the bottom right of this document

The Long Range Planning Committee, an advisory group to the town manager that periodically reviews revenue and expenditure forecasts in  Arlington's five-year Long-Range Plan, is expected to consider this new information at its next meeting, held at 8 a.m. Friday, March 10. For details, click here >>

Town Manager Sandy Pooler presented Arlington’s preliminary fiscal 2024 budget at the Select Board’s Feb. 6 meeting, which predicts that Arlington will have a $2.6 million deficit in the next fiscal year. “If that deficit stays in place, it may mean that an override may be required this spring," Pooler said.

Proposed for the general fund is $206,253,646, an increase of $8,501,122 (4.30%) from the current budget. Download the preliminary budget plan here >>

However, in trying to mitigate this budget adjustment, Pooler presented a scenario under which the town wouldn’t need an override. “We don’t have the numbers yet." He said the Long-Range Planning committee is to meet Friday, Feb. 17, "and we’ll will know more then.”

Town Manager Sandy Pooler has announced his proposed budgets for fiscal 2024 and the capital plan through fiscal 2028. Proposed for the general fund is $206,253,646, an increase of $8,501,122 (4.30%) from the current budget.

In a statement dated Jan. 13 and addressed to the Select Board and Finance Committee, Pooler wrote that the proposed budget is "built on a foundation that is both stable and potentially volatile. Property taxes remain a stable source of revenue and make up three-quarters of the town’s budget. As the largest source of revenue, property taxes increase steadily each year, but that revenue growth is limited by Proposition 2½ and is insufficient to keep up with rising costs."

The Town of Arlington, under contract to Patriot Properties, offers online access to town assessment and valuation data via its updated AssessPro service.

Available -- in time for the latest property-tax bill -- are fiscal 2023 valuations >>

The national company, with an office in Marblehead, provides software to the town assessor’s office, a town news release said. Under a new arrangement, the company provides the public a more streamlined and timely approach to providing assessment data.

Arlington has received a financial "gift" for the holidays: A rating agency has cited the town’s strong management of financial practices.

S&P Global Ratings, a municipal bond credit-rating agency, affirmed the town’s long-term rating of AAA, citing strong budgetary performance and liquidity as positive credit factors. 

In a news release, Town Treasurer Phyllis Marshall announced that the town received competitive bids from bond and note underwriters on Dec. 1 for a $8,515,000 30-year general-obligation bond issue and a $4,607,401 359-day bond-anticipation note (BAN) issue. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC was the winning bidder on the bonds, with an average interest rate of 3.77%, and Fidelity Capital Markets was the winning bidder on the BAN, with a net interest cost of 3.13% Bond and BAN proceeds will be used to finance various municipal purposes, notably the public works facility project on Grove Street. 

Do you need funding for an open space, outdoor recreational facility, affordable housing or historic preservation project?

 The Community Preservation Act Committee is accepting preliminary applications for projects to be funded in fiscal 2024 under the act that helps guide administration of the fund from taxpayers and the state.

The deadline for the preliminary application is noon, Friday, Oct. 7. 

The act raises an estimated $1.8 million annually via a tax surcharge and state funds that are designated for major public investments in these categories.

This news summary was published Wednesday, March 28, 2018.

The Arlington Finance Committee has announced new leadership for the fiscal year that began July 1. Elected were Christine Deshler, chair, with vice chairs Darrel Harmer, Annie LaCourt and Alan Jones.

They replace Charles Foskett, who served as chair after longtime leader Al Tosti stepped down in 2020.

Deshler has served as a vice chair of the committee since 2017 and as a member since 2008. She has been a Precinct 19 Town Meeting member since 1994 and is a past member and chair of the Arlington Human Rights Commission, in addition to serving on several other town boards.

News summary from Sept. 9 forum added, as manager offers new total of $35.25M

UPDATED, Sept. 14: Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine joined other officials at a virtual town forum on Thursday, Sept. 9, presenting an plan to spend $34 million in federal funds from the American Recovery Plan Act.

The next day, the manager confirmed the funding amount totals $35.25 million and has provided an updated framework to reflect this update.

In addition, the comment period has been extended from Sept. 9 to Sunday, Sept. 19, before a final plan is presented to the Select Board, on Sept. 27, for endorsement. The board was to hear details about the forum at its regular meeting, set for Monday, Sept. 13, but that discussion was put off until Sept. 20.

Meanwhile, read the following report from the virtual town forum on Thursday, Sept. 9, was provided by Melanie Gilbert, YourArlington freelancer.

Public to get its say in next month's survey

UPDATED, Aug. 12: The Select Board had scheduled a discussion for Monday, Aug. 9, about initial plans to address how to spend $34 million due from the federal government, an unprecedented impact on the town, whose current budget totals $187,456,161, but that was delayed until Sept. 13.

The funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is a slice of $350 billion aimed at softening blows from the Covid-19 pandemic and boosting water-related infrastructure. Instead of a discussion, the board formally accept these funds from the federal government and endorsed the following:

• $1.6 million in immediate water/sewer spending for current needs; and
• $50,000 for the Housing Corporation of Arlington to immediately fund homelessness prevention.

  ---

Manager's presentation, link to Sept. 9 forum

Discussion was delayed in the interest of time at a meeting that went past 11 p.m.

Schools could get $1M via Title I; spending priorities await clearer direction

UPDATED, March 25: Arlington officials await final numbers for its share of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, but so far, the town's share is estimated to be almost $36.8 million. The public schools may get a little over $1 million.

That projection comes from a March 12 analysis of the national Covid-19 relief plan the Massachusetts Municipal Association, the nonprofit representing 351 cities and towns in the commonwealth. Read it here >> Within that analysis are these numbers >> 

“This gives us an opportunity to provide long-lasting benefits to Arlington," Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine told the Select Board Monday, March 15. "We’re aware only of broad categories, and await news from the federal level. We need to make sure we don’t spend it too quickly, and we’ll have more discussions.” 

Town receives two awards for financial reporting, budgeting

Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine has sent his fiscal 2022 operating budget to the Select Board and Finance Committee for  consideration. The former board heard a presentation and commented on it Jan. 25 . A summary will be published.

The budget recommends $187.7 million in general fund spending, including $41.8 million for town municipal departments, $80.1 million for the School Department and $15.7 million for capital expenses, as well as other appropriations for pensions and health insurance.

In his transmittal letter, Chapdelaine noted that, “this budget proposal has been formulated in one of the most uncertain economic environments that we have seen in the 21st century.”