By Beth David, Editor
Voters in Acushnet will face 37 articles at the annual Town Meeting on Monday, 6/16, including three bylaw articles.
The town managed to balance its $36,988,765 operating budget, an Increase of $737,374 from Fiscal Year 2025. but not without cuts and some creativity.
Town Administrator Jamie Kelley they pared down the $1.5 million deficit by cutting every department, including a significant cut to the School Department. Some of those cuts came from cutting down on Old Colony. Acushnet does not have its own high school, so it pays for students to go to Fairhaven High School or Old Colony.
Mr. Kelley said the state added a little from the original estimate; he took some from salary reserves; and he was able to estimate more for local receipts, which he said are “looking a lot better.”
Revenue from the new meals tax should bring in about $100,000.
The town also squeezed more out of the enterprise funds by charging back indirect costs to those accounts.
The town gets its revenue from property taxes (the tax levy); local receipts (permit fees, meals tax, excise tax); and state aid.
The enterprise funds are dedicated accounts that can only used for the departments that collect them. For example, the golf enterprise account can only used for the golf course.
The general government costs were cut by more than $23K. Other departments mostly only increased for obligatory raises.
“I cut everything I could,” said Mr. Kelley.
Spending articles using free cash include: Fire department request for $80K for a new compressor to fill SCBA bottles; IT request for $40K to update software and hardware; $150K for two police cruisers; $275K for one street sweeper; $30K for accounting department for updates; $40K for Council on Aging/Senior Center for HVAC upgrades; $45K for a truck a plow truck; $5K to update the town code.
Spending from Community Preservation Act funds include: $60K for relocation of historic memorials from the Russell Library; $5,830 for painting and renovations at the Long Plain Museum; $8K for the Park Department.
TM will also face three bylaws articles.
Article 35 will amend the zoning map to reflect zoning changes that have been approved at past TMs that were never put on the current zoning map. No funds are requested.
Article 36 will amend bylaw Article VIII to remove all references to Accessory Apartments because the language conflicts with state law.
Article 37 will amend Article VIII Section 8 to clarify siting standards and performance requirements for large-scale solar installations, which include establishing clearer criteria for screening, setbacks, and security fencing.
Acushnet’s TM will be held on Monday, 6/16, at Ford Middle School at 7 p.m. The town has an open TM, which means any registered voter may attend and vote on articles.
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