One Budget: Municipal and School Spending in FY28 and Beyond - October 29, 2026

Arlington’s annual joint municipal and school budget forum, hosted by Arlington Community Media, was held October 29, 2026, to discuss FY28 and longer-term finances. Officials described a structural gap between spending growth and revenues constrained by Proposition 2½, alongside a commitment not to seek another override before FY30. The school appropriation was described as rising from $107.7 million in FY27 to about $112 million under the agreed 4% increase. The forum included no procurement vote, contract award, or purchasing approval; it focused on explaining budget pressures, planning, and potential efficiencies.

Procurement-related discussion covered several existing or planned purchasing arrangements. Arlington’s new curbside waste contract with WM began in FY26 after a prior 10-year agreement with Advantages, with higher collection and recycling-processing costs. The town also locked in FY27 fuel prices—$2.93 per gallon for diesel and $2.60 for regular gasoline—through a cooperative procurement with 10 other cities and towns. Officials said electricity supply had been purchased ahead under a contract, while current market prices were about 22% higher, at just over $82 per megawatt-hour. The police department’s body-camera program was expected to launch in November under a five-year provider agreement; the vendor was not identified. Officials emphasized multi-year agreements and staggered contract cycles to improve budget predictability, and discussed cost controls such as adjusting yard-waste collection frequency and pursuing grants to offset expenses.