Finance Committee Reviews $13.4 Million Capital Plan, Enterprise Rate Increases

Finance Committee · Meeting of March 2, 2026

Tewksbury Finance Committee reviews $13.4 million capital plan and hears of surprise $191,000 sewer shortfall. Town Manager John Curran told the committee Monday that the town's Lowell sewer assessment will come in $191,000 over the FY26 budget due to a shift in proportional usage, requiring a warrant article amendment drawing from sewer retained earnings of roughly $4 million. The water enterprise budget for FY27 rises 12.47 percent to $10.9 million, driven by $792,000 in new debt service, with rates projected to increase 6.5 percent, roughly $40 to $41 annually for most households, and water rate increases of at least 4.4 percent projected into future years.

Finance Committee member Lindsey Dunlevy Tosto pressed for a monthly list of grants denied due to the town's MBTA Communities noncompliance, noting that a $1 million sidewalk grant was among the losses: "I think it would be helpful for the citizens, the residents to really understand what the current cost" is. The committee also approved minutes for two February meetings by a 6-0 roll-call vote.

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Source: the Finance Committee meeting of March 2, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.