The Finance Committee’s September 15 meeting mainly focused on Acton’s FY2028 budget, advancements to the Department of Public Works (DPW) Building project, and a reflection surrounding the 2026 student intern program.
Public comments
David Martin, member of the Select Board, gave the first liaison update concerning recent permitting and licensing activity for two new businesses: Jersey Mike’s and a landscaping business in North Acton. The Board also discussed an expansion of Northern Trust Bank at Kelley’s Corner.
Martin also discussed a new renewable-energy permitting process, where Massachusetts will require municipalities to establish a consolidated permitting process for certain renewable-energy projects by October 1. Acton’s goal is to handle permitting issues itself, rather than having it handled by the state, which would help Town government keep a check on projects, preventing delays.
He said the town manager presented a budget preview to the Select Board that will be presented to the Finance Committee in a coming meeting. Martin’s update ended with speculation on a possible Town Meeting in December to discuss the DPW building project. The Finance Committee was mixed in its response, with some members saying the DPW could become one of Acton’s largest expenditures, and others arguing that it nevertheless does not warrant a special meeting.
Dennis Burianek, liaison for the School Committee, outlined the Committee’s focus on approving policies required by new Massachusetts law, and stated that they have not yet discussed, and therefore do not have an update, on the recent cyber incident.
FY2028 Budget discussions
The committee moved to discuss the FY2028 budget. In regards to energy costs, diesel sat around $6.05/gallon, and the town is still determining the exact budget impact. The committee also noted that the town is shifting towards EVs and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
In the core discussion of the budget, it was noted that the projected deficit had shrunk from about $3.4 million to about $2.7 million. The improvement is largely attributed to the school side of the budget, though the final number, and durability of that improvement, remain largely uncertain.
The Committee also noticed the current Acton Leadership Group (ALG) budget materials did not include certain state reimbursements, as the ALG does not directly determine those amounts. However, the Finance Committee pointed out it is still an important number to know.
Question 5 and the state revenue cap
The discussion moved to Question 5, a question on the 2026 November Ballot that proposes amending the method of calculating the state’s tax revenue limit. Members voiced concern that if Question 5 passes, the state could have less revenue available for other programs that ultimately fund municipalities and schools. The Committee wanted to conduct a holistic analysis of what would happen in different instances of passing Question 5, and how it would affect the budget.
Members also voiced concerns about health insurance creating another budget risk, where the increase could potentially offset the budget improvement from the school side.
The committee wrapped up the budget discussion by introducing the preparation of a document to organize the Finance Committee’s overall budget positions. There will be a joint meeting of Acton and Boxborough Select Boards, Finance Committees, and the AB school district, scheduled for October 13 at 7:00 pm at the Boxborough Town Hall, in order to coordinate Acton’s finances with Boxborough.
Finance Committee internship program
The meeting then shifted into a lengthy reflection of the 2026 intern cohort. The committee said it had reviewed all 20 presentations and found all to be helpful research; roughly half of them contain ideas that contribute to the committee’s discussion of the structural deficit.
Members suggested improvements to the program for next year, including getting more town officials to attend, possibly creating an online outlet for the presentations, and checking the factual claims prior to the presentations.
The video of the meeting is available at Acton TV.
Shivank Shroff is a lifelong Acton resident and student at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School. He enjoys being engaged with the community and reporting on local politics and projects.
