Arlington Finance Committee Approves Three Budgets, Warns of Override Fallback Plan

ARLINGTON -- January 26, 2026, Arlington Finance Committee opens FY27 budget season under shadow of March 28 override vote. Chair Christine Deschamps warned the 19-member committee at its January 26 remote meeting that the town manager's proposed budget assumes a successful override of an amount the Select Board has not yet set, a number must be declared by February 9, and that a failed vote would require the committee to produce a replacement budget within 24 hours. The most recent long-range plan carried a $15 million override figure, but Deschamps said she "personally could not support that" given a remaining $4.5 million structural deficit in year three that must still be closed. Member Annie Fields confirmed the school department has consolidated its budget at a 4.25 percent growth rate, with further cuts still required. The committee approved three routine budget lines unanimously, celebrations and town day events, its own $11,475 operating budget, and the Zoning Board of Appeals at $83,818, while deferring roughly $153,000 in committee and commission budgets to Wednesday's in-person session.