Opening remarks: Acton-Boxborough School Committee members Tori Campbell and Leela Ramachandran referenced a memorandum to the Select Board concerning a budget amendment scheduled for a June 12 School Committee vote, and requested the Board to communicate its response to the School Committee.
Board Chair Dean Charter commented on the workload borne by Town staff, and encouraged residents to contact the Volunteer Coordinating Committee. Town Manager John Mangiaratti highlighted recruitment and retention as issues not only with public safety and public works, but also throughout other Town departments.
Board member David Martin called attention to a MetroWest Regional Transit Authority “495 Connector” pilot project, which “… will provide convenient intermodal connections to the South Acton, Southborough, and 495 Forge Park (Franklin) MBTA Commuter Rail stations, with stops in eight different MetroWest communities.” Mr. Martin also recommended the Acton Exchange calendar feature.
A caller claimed that a video presentation opposing funding for the proposed DPW building was removed from ActonTV, citing a Town counsel memorandum on campaign finance law. The caller further alleged that “multiple Select Board members justified this decision” and that a key phrase was omitted from the memorandum, misrepresenting the law to justify the video’s removal. A document, essentially the caller’s remarks, was posted to the “Extra Information” section of the Board’s meeting materials.
A resident, and Board Members Alissa Nicol and Fran Arsenault, decried the ongoing immigration enforcement actions in Acton.
Select Board Goals review and listening session: Before hearing public suggestions for Select Board goals, Town Manager John Mangiaratti reviewed the status of current goals. He described several projects, both completed and in-progress, such as Complete Streets; remote video participation at Town Meeting, and the soon-to-be completed River Street Park.
A resident highlighted Acton’s tax burden, noting that Acton ranks 20th of 351 Massachusetts municipalities in a “Single-Family Tax Bill” listing, and suggested reducing the tax burden as a goal. In response to questions from Ms. Nicol, he further noted that Acton’s spending on education, as a proportion of total expenditures, is the fourth highest in the state.
ALG Charter and Ground Rules: The Acton Leadership Group (ALG), a collaborative body with representatives from the Select Board, the School Committee, and the Finance Committee, periodically updates its charter. The ALG maintains a spreadsheet as a modeling tool for discussion at its meetings, and pages derived from that spreadsheet are used in the Town Meeting Warrant and for other meetings. Last year posed challenges for the group, as the ALG failed to reach consensus for the first time, partly due to disagreements over modeling and representing future fiscal years. As the budget cycle for Fiscal Year 2026 (beginning July 1, 2025) starts, the Board discussed the ALG’s history and future prospects.
Mr. Martin characterized the ALG’s primary role as apportioning revenue, and emphasized the need for timely revenue allocation in the fall to guide budget creation. Ms. Nicol noted that the charter does explicitly specify a multi-year financial plan, and that the last year’s ALG participants disagreed on whether consensus applied to the out-years (beyond the next fiscal year); she emphasized that consensus on a multi-year plan does include the out-years. Mr. Martin suggested revising the charter’s wording and possibly reverting to a three-year planning horizon, instead of five, as out-year projections magnify imbalances and rely on static assumptions. Ms. Ann Chang, who has kept meeting minutes for the ALG since its inception, argued that planning five years out is unrealistic due to changing circumstances, emphasizing the ALG’s historical success and the need to preserve its collaborative spirit.
Briefly noted:
The Board approved a notice of intent to the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources for a Climate Leader Communities Decarbonization Acceleration Grant. Mr. Mangiaratti said that as a result of the recogniton of Acton as a “climate leader”, the Town is eligible for a million-dollar grant application to fund the Town Hall HVAC project.
Conservation agent Olivia Barksdale appeared before the Board with a Request for Fee Reimbursement for a development project at 12 Spring Hill Road, which the Conservation Commission had denied. Mr. Charter noted that the property has repeatedly appeared before the Conservation Commission. The Board unanimously voted not to approve the request.
Tom Beals is the Select Board beat reporter for the Acton Exchange.
Correction: This article has been revised. The original article misrepresented Ms. Nicol’s position on multi-year consensus by the ALG. The author regrets the error.