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2026 Annual Town Meeting, Town of Arlington, MA
Article: 73
Warrant Article Title:
APPROPRIATION / COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS
Warrant Article Text:
To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum or sums of
money to be expended under the direction of various committees,
commissions, and boards of the Town, determine how the money
shall be raised; provided that any funds appropriated hereunder
shall remain under the jurisdiction of said entities until expended
at their direction, unless otherwise appropriated by the Town
Meeting; the entities included hereunder, without limitation, are:
Arlington Historical Commission, Arlington Recycling Committee,
Avon Place Historic District Commission, Beautification
Committee, Broadway Historic District Commission, Central
Street Historic District Commission, Mt. Gilboa/Crescent Hill
Historic District Commission, Jason/Gray Historic District
Commission, Pleasant Street Historic District Commission,
Russell Historic District Commission, Conservation Commission,
Capital Planning Committee, Commission on Disability, Human
Resources Board, Public Memorial Committee, Human Rights
Commission, Arlington Committee on Tourism and Economic
Development, Envision Arlington, Transportation Advisory
Committee, Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture, Open
Space Committee, and any other Town Committee or
Commission; or take any action related thereto.
Requested By:
the Town Manager
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Report Excerpt:
In light of the Town’s tight fiscal constraints, the budgets of all
committees and commissions (including the Finance Committee’s
own budget) have been reduced by at least 10%. Some
committees and commissions have requested even less funding
than that, and some have requested no money this year as many
of them are holding unspent monies from the prior year in
reserve, which they intend to utilize in FY2027. The Finance
Committee is grateful that, in this difficult fiscal year, our many
volunteers are willing to continue their great work on behalf of the
Town with fewer resources.
Vote Language:
VOTED: That the sum of $81,995 be and hereby is appropriated
to be expended by the following commissions, committees, and
boards in the amounts indicated:
A. Arlington Historical Commission – $7,830 (14-0-2)
B. Historic Districts Commission – $7,200
(Avon Place Historic District Commission, Broadway
Historic District Commission, Central Street
Historic District Commission, Jason/Gray
Historic District Commission, Russell
Historic District Commission, Pleasant Street
Historic District Commission and Mount Gilboa/Crescent Hill
Historic District Commission)
C. Capital Planning Committee – $0
D. Commission on Disability – $14,067
(Under state law, the Town is authorized to allocate to the
Disability Commission all fines collected by
the Town for Handicap Parking violations. Since FY2020,
the Town has appropriated an amount at least equal to the
fines collected by the Town for Handicap Parking violations. This
appropriation is in lieu of the Town allocating such fines directly to
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the Disability Commission as it is authorized to do pursuant to
MGL c. 40, Sec. 22G. The Disability Commission has used the
majority of its appropriations since FY2020 on repairs
to Town Hall to improve accessibility, software to improve the
accessibility of the Town website, and for ADA and MCAD training
for Town staff. The Finance Committee has offered to provide a
liaison to the Disability Commission to assist with planning, and
any budgeting issues and/or questions related to potential
expenses under the Town’s 2020 ADA Transition Plan.)
E. Zero Waste Committee – $2,700
F. Human Rights Commission – $7,200
G. Arlington Tourism and Economic Development Committee -
$3,848
H. Envision Arlington - $1,350 (13-1-0)
I. Transportation Advisory Committee - $1,800
J. Scenic By-Way - $0
K. Open Space Committee - $900
L. LGBTQIA + Rainbow Commission - $3,600
M. Civilian Police Advisory Commission - $0
N. Arlington Commission on Arts and Culture - $31,500
(This appropriation will also fund Public Arts, Poet Laureate and
Arlington Alive activities at the discretion and under the
supervision of the Arlington Commission on Arts and Culture.
The Commission will also be raising additional funds from
their various activities).
Said sums to be raised by general tax and expended under the
direction of the various commissions, committees, and boards.
All consultant services shall be supervised under the direction of
the Town Manager.
Finance Committee Report
