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Government

School Committee Presents Two FY27 Budgets, Unanimously Endorses $14.8M Override — February 12 Meeting

The Arlington School Committee unanimously endorsed a $14.8 million property tax override headed to voters on March 28, after reviewing two starkly different FY27 budget scenarios — one with a 4% increase to $107.8 million and one level-funded at $103.6 million. Both scenarios feature only reductions with no new additions, including cuts to elementary specialists, multilingual learning teachers, and central office staff.

Government

Redevelopment Board Approves 840 Mass Ave Affordable Housing Project, Reviews Overlay District and Town Meeting Articles — March 9 Meeting

Arlington's Redevelopment Board voted 4-1 to approve a 28-unit affordable housing project at 840-846 Mass Ave and 17 Newman Way by the Housing Corporation of Arlington, racing to meet a March 19 state funding deadline. The board also received its first formal feedback session on a proposed 100% affordable housing overlay district and continued hearings on several zoning warrant articles for the 2026 town meeting.

Government

Finance Committee Reviews Legal, Police Budgets and Reserve Fund — February 9 Meeting

The Finance Committee approved budgets for the legal department and police department, along with the annual reserve fund, during its February 9, 2026 meeting. Members expressed frustration over the legal department's continued lack of detailed line-item budgeting and discussed key police department developments including body-worn camera implementation and the town's exit from state civil service hiring requirements.

Government

Finance Committee Reviews Budgets for Committees, HR, Retirement, and OPEB — February 25 Meeting

Arlington's Finance Committee voted on budgets for multiple town committees and commissions, approved a $451,047 Human Resources budget, endorsed an $18.4 million retirement appropriation with a reduced 5% annual growth rate, and approved $805,000 in OPEB trust fund contributions. The committee also approved $8,588 for employee reclassifications and heard presentations from the Historical Commission, Zero Waste Arlington, and the Water Bodies working group.

Government

ZBA Hears Boston Gas Take Station Proposal, Continues to Jan. 27 — January 13 Meeting

The Arlington Zoning Board of Appeals heard a special permit application from Boston Gas Company (National Grid) to construct a new natural gas take station at 307 Washington Street, drawing significant public opposition over tree removal, wildlife impacts, and the necessity of building on a new site. The board continued the hearing to January 27, 2026, requesting additional information on native plantings, noise mitigation, and environmental considerations.

Government

Finance Committee Reviews FY27 Budget Amid Override Vote Preparations — January 28 Meeting

Arlington's Finance Committee received a detailed FY27 budget presentation projecting $237.9 million in revenue and 3.88% expenditure growth, with a pending override vote scheduled for March 28 that could determine whether the town faces deep service cuts. Town Manager Jim Feeney and Deputy Town Manager Julie Waite outlined a structurally imbalanced budget driven by healthcare costs growing at 11.25%, police and fire salary catch-ups exceeding 10%, and the depletion of the override stabilization fund.

Government

Redevelopment Board Approves 1513–1519 Mass Ave Project, Hears HCA Affordable Housing Proposal — February 2 Meeting

Arlington's Redevelopment Board voted 4-1 to approve a mixed-use building at 1513–1519 Massachusetts Avenue with conditions addressing transformer access and design changes, while also opening review of a major 40-unit affordable housing campus proposed by the Housing Corporation of Arlington at 840–846 Mass Ave and 17 Newman Way. The board additionally granted a special permit for a Jersey Mike's restaurant at 1398 Mass Ave.

Government

Finance Committee Reviews Fire, Health, and Municipal Budgets — February 4 Meeting

Arlington's Finance Committee approved budgets for more than a dozen departments at its February 4, 2026 meeting, including an $8.68 million fire department budget amid concerns about vacancies, retirements, and response-time standards. The committee also voted on budgets for Health and Human Services, the Council on Aging, inspections, elections, and several other municipal offices while deferring the legal budget pending a detailed expense breakdown.

Government

Conservation Commission Endorses FGAR Rodenticide Ban, Advances Winchester Country Club Projects — February 19 Meeting

The Arlington Conservation Commission voted to endorse two warrant articles seeking to ban first-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (FGARs) on both private and public property, following a presentation detailing wildlife deaths linked to the chemicals. The commission also closed hearings and issued orders of conditions for two Winchester Country Club improvement projects after extensive discussion of native planting plans and invasive species management.

Government

Conservation Commission Continues Enforcement, Approves Compliance, Advances Winchester Country Club Plans — February 5 Meeting

The Arlington Conservation Commission voted to continue enforcement proceedings at 66 Dudley Street pending a revised remediation plan, issued a certificate of compliance for 102-104 Milton Street, and continued two Winchester Country Club hearings to February 19 after substantive discussions on stormwater management, mitigation planting, and invasive species monitoring.

Government

Conservation Commission Reviews Dudley Street Enforcement Plan, Winchester Country Club Hearings — January 8 Meeting

The Arlington Conservation Commission reviewed a preliminary remediation plan for flood storage violations at 66R Dudley Street and advanced a hearing on Winchester Country Club's golf course reconfiguration project along Herbert Myers Brook. The commission also unanimously endorsed a Charles River Watershed Association letter urging MWRA to reduce combined sewer overflows.

Government

Conservation Commission Continues Winchester Country Club Hearings, Discusses Fishing Line Waste — January 22 Meeting

The Arlington Conservation Commission continued two notices of intent for Winchester Country Club's golf course and facilities improvements to February 5, requesting additional planting plans, invasive species management proposals, and stormwater engineering review. Commissioners also received an update on their meeting with the town manager about fishing line waste at Hills Pond, expressing frustration over the lack of a concrete action plan from the recreation department.

Government

Finance Committee Kicks Off FY27 Budget Season Amid Override Uncertainty — January 26 Meeting

Arlington's Finance Committee opened its fiscal year 2027 budget season on January 26, approving three small budgets while grappling with deep uncertainty over a pending property tax override vote set for March 28. With the Select Board yet to finalize the override amount and a projected multi-million-dollar deficit looming, committee members debated how to prepare for two possible budget scenarios — one with an override and one without.

Government

Finance Committee Reviews Minuteman Vocational Budget, IT Gaps, and Treasurer Operations — March 4 Meeting

Arlington's Finance Committee unanimously approved Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School's FY2027 assessment of $8.27 million — a slight decrease for Arlington — while flagging a $232,000 shortfall in the town's IT budget that must be resolved before that budget can advance. The committee also approved the Treasurer/Collector budget and adjusted the parking budget to fully offset the parking manager's salary from the parking revolving fund.

Government

Finance Committee Recommends $14.8M Override with Spending Caps — February 18 Meeting

Arlington's Finance Committee voted 12-5 to recommend a $14.8 million Proposition 2½ override headed to the March 28 ballot, while attaching language clarifying that school and town budget growth rates are caps rather than guaranteed spending levels. The contentious debate revealed deep divisions over structural deficits, spending discipline, and the likelihood of yet another override in three years.

Government

School Committee Presents $5.6M in Potential Cuts if March Override Fails — January 8 Meeting

Superintendent Dr. Holman presented a detailed list of approximately $5.6 million in suggested budget reductions for FY27 that would take effect if Arlington voters reject an operating override on March 28. The cuts would eliminate nearly 58 staff positions across central office, school leadership, counseling, coaching, and classroom teaching roles, with committee members warning the damage could take decades to reverse.

Government

Redevelopment Board Approves 10 Warrant Articles for 2026 Spring Town Meeting — January 26 Meeting

Arlington's Redevelopment Board voted to advance 10 zoning bylaw amendment articles to the 2026 Spring Town Meeting warrant, while dropping two proposals — one on industrial zone jurisdiction and another on commercial space minimums in the multifamily overlay district — for further study. The board also continued three pending public hearings to an in-person meeting on February 2nd.