Stockbridge Select Board discusses latest iteration of fiscal 2027 operational and capital budgets, includes proposed road improvements

Editor’s Note: This article contains updated budget information for Stockbridge’s proposed fiscal 2027 operating and capital budgets. The figures presented by the town are not final.

Stockbridge — Select Board members met Thursday, March 5, to discuss fiscal year 2027 (FY27) operating and capital budget updates. Presented by Town Administrator Michael Canales, the adjusted FY27 budget will see an increase of approximately $600,000 over FY26. Driving the increase are investments in public safety and infrastructure, as well as employee benefits and contractual realities.

“The entire budget is basically a continuation of what we’ve been doing. Except for the significant expansion, as I’ve stated, in our Fire/EMS. So we now have … the school budget built in,” explained Canales. “You can see where the biggest changes are, and the biggest changes are eight percent in public safety and then 8.4 percent in employee benefits.”

With adjustments to key operating budget categories, the budget will increase by 4.5 percent over FY26. This results in a 2.24 percent impact to the average tax bill.

Free cash expense: Climate Leaders Program – Solar

Turning to the capital budget, a new free cash expense item has been added to the list of expenses: Climate Leaders Program – Solar (DPW). For FY27, Canales is requesting $250,000 from free cash to go toward the installation of solar panels on the DPW garage and freestanding solar stanchions south of the water treatment plant.

“The stanchion site would be the false stanchion ones, so they’d be independent, freestanding solar panels. The return in year one is estimated at about $107,000, so in a little over two years, we would actually see savings in our budget that, within a little over two years, would replace that entire $250,000 initial investment. And mainly, this would only be used if we got the $1 million grant for the Climate Leader Program,” continued Canales.

Municipalities that are considered Climate Leader Communities are eligible for two different grants from the state. Though not specified by Canales, the amount to which he referred in his presentation of the line item coincides with the program’s Decarbonization Accelerator Grant, which provides up to $1 million for projects that “significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from municipal operations.”

Select Board Chair Jamie Minacci asked if these panels would result in a savings in citizens’ electricity rates, to which Canales clarified, “So this would completely run behind the meter. These are not solar credits; this would actually be used to roll back the meter at both the water treatment plants and the sewer plant and the DPW garage, and then any additional credits would be—could be even—sold back to the grid. … It would basically wipe out the electric costs in the sewer, water, and highway garages.”

Road improvements for FY27, Chapter 90 Program

Introducing road maintenance and repairs in FY27, Canales stated, “We had a company come in and review all of our roads and come up with a road inventory plan for the next five years. This plan would only use Chapter 90 money.”

The Commonwealth’s Chapter 90 Program provides funding to municipalities for local public infrastructure improvements. The amount allocated to each of the Commonwealth’s 351 towns is calculated using a formula based on road mileage, population, and employment.

“Our average roads are graded—out of a scale of up to 100—at 77, and we want to get it above 80, which would put our roads at the highest percent of any community,” added Canales.

More information on a five-year plan will be provided at the next Select Board meeting.

Bridge updates

At the meeting, Canales gave an update on five bridges that are due for repairs. Four of these bridges have reached varying stages of design and planning and have funding available. These include:

• Tuckerman Bridge: in Chapter 85 review
• Averic Road: in Chapter 85 review
• Mary Goodrich Footbridge: design completed
• Curtisville Bridge: road to be discontinued; pedestrian walkway will be installed over the bridge

The fifth and most recent bridge to come to Stockbridge’s attention is the Glendale Bridge, with a repair assessment for $8.5 million. Presently, there is no funding or plans in place to address this undertaking.

Sewer and water remain challenges in FY27

Sewer and water continue to be challenges for FY27, with expense percentages running 99 percent for sewer and 109 percent for water. Though sewer may be resolved with a rate change, water may require a more involved solution.

“The sewer account is running at 99 percent of its income to cover its expenses, so we are right there on the borderline. I do see that we are going to have to, within the next year or two, increase the sewer fees in order to stay solvent with the sewer department,” Canales explained. “Water is a different one. Water is going to need to be adjusted for FY27. The problem with water is that overall, just four years ago we were taking in $378,000 in income—we’re projecting $338,000, but right now, this year, we’re only running about $323,000. Water use has gone down significantly, and that has resulted in a deficit within that account. … I’m going to go with a recommendation that we make the adjustment in FY27 and then smooth it out over multiple years.”

Appointment of committee to evaluate five-person Select Board

Closing the evening, the Select Board voted to approve the creation of a nine-member committee to evaluate the possibility of establishing a five-member Select Board. All nine seats on the committee were appointed, with Select Board member Jorja Mardsen appointed as the committee’s ninth member.

The next Stockbridge Select Board meeting will be held Thursday, March 12, at 6:30 p.m.