Arlington's Select Board received a sobering long-range financial update showing a projected $3.7 million deficit for fiscal year 2027, down from $13.5 million last April but still requiring a property-tax override vote on March 28. The board also approved expanded 25 mph speed-limit signage along Massachusetts Avenue and updated outdoor dining permit rules.
Town Manager Jim Feeney presented a $237.9 million fiscal year 2027 budget that is contingent on a Proposition 2½ override vote scheduled for March 28, warning that a roughly $3 million deficit — growing to $18.3 million in FY28 — would force significant service cuts if the override fails. The board unanimously voted to reschedule its February 9 meeting to February 12 to incorporate the latest health insurance cost data from the Group Insurance Commission before setting the override amount.
The Arlington Select Board tabled a proposed bylaw that would have required lead pipe certification at the time of home sale, citing concerns about disrupting real estate transactions. In other action, the board voted unanimously to support home rule legislation banning first-generation anticoagulant rodenticides and endorsed a $1.2 million Community Development Block Grant budget for fiscal year 2027.
