Finance panel presses select board on DPW costs

Select Board · Meeting of January 21, 2026

Acton's Finance Committee and Select Board clashed over a proposed Department of Public Works building now estimated at $23 million to $25 million to construct, with total project costs previously cited near $29 million. Finance Committee member Jason asked the town to pull a $900,000 design-funding request, saying the project is "outside of the scope that I can possibly get behind." Town Manager John said the Select Board already directed the scaled-back design, known as option 4B, which members approved 4-1 in an earlier vote recalled by member Dean A. Charter.

Select Board Clerk Francesca Arsenault objected to criticism of town staff. Separately, officials cut the stormwater and culvert capital budget from a requested $700,000 to $100,000, prompting Jason to argue a fee-based funding model would circumvent the state's Proposition 2 1/2 cap. Fire Chief Anita Arnhem also reported the department remains four firefighters short of full staffing despite hiring seven in fiscal 2025.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of January 21, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.