Arlington Town Meeting Unanimously Passes $247 Million Operating Budget for Fiscal 2027

ARLINGTON -- May 6, 2026, Arlington town meeting unanimously approved a $247 million fiscal year 2027 operating budget and a $19.6 million capital plan on budget night, May 6. Town Manager Jim Feeney told the nearly 300 assembled members that following March's successful override election, the town's long-range plan projects fiscal stability through fiscal year 2029, with a structural deficit reappearing in fiscal year 2030. The capital budget passed 181 to 0 and authorizes $6.9 million in new borrowing, with public works, schools, and facilities as the three largest recipients. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Elizabeth Homan said the schools budget features $1.8 million in staffing reductions under a new 4 percent annual growth cap, noting that state mandates have forced costs up "at a rate far greater than 4 percent" without commensurate funding. Police Chief Julie Flaherty confirmed the department's body-worn camera rollout is expected on or about July 1 at a cost of roughly $100,000 per year. The meeting adjourned past 11 p.m. without voting on a proposed $2.5 million feasibility study for Ottoson Middle School, which will return Monday, May 11.