Tax Increases Would Help Fund School, Operations In Arlington

ARLINGTON, MA – A vote on two ballot questions involving higher taxes is expected to take place in June. The questions will involve a tax override to help fund town operations and a debt exclusion to support the Arlington High School project.

According to YourArlington, town expenditures are expected to rise from about $161.3 million in FY 2019 to $215 million in FY 2026, while it is anticipated revenue will rise to between $184 million and $194 million. The town would exhaust its stabilization fund by FY 2021, causing its deficit to swell to more than $30 million from $5.8 million.

A three-year override would be $1.9 million; four-year would be $5.7 million and five-year would be $8.6 million, the Arlington Advocate reported. The average impact on a single-family home would be between $128.62 and $582.19.

The debt exclusion for Arlington High School is expected to be around $300 million, a percentage of which would be reimbursed by the Massachusetts School Building Authority, according to the Advocate. That number will not be finalized until April.

The Select Board will decide whether to put the override and debt exclusion to a vote at their next meeting on Jan. 23.

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