Dartmouth Finance Committee Reviews FY27 Budget With Rising Costs, Staffing Proposals

Finance Committee · Meeting of February 12, 2026

Dartmouth Finance Committee hears FY27 budget warnings as state aid increases just 1.7 percent. Town Administrator Cody Haddad and Budget Director Gary Carreiro told the committee Thursday that projected FY27 general fund revenue stands at approximately $113.2 million, but rising fixed costs — health insurance potentially up 14.5 percent, Bristol County Retirement up 6 to 7 percent, property insurance up 7 to 8 percent — are eating into any operating flexibility. Carreiro reported the town entered the fiscal cycle with $8.1 million in certified free cash, roughly $5 million of which was already committed at the Fall Town Meeting, leaving $3.1 million for the Spring Town Meeting.

Haddad proposed three new positions: a part-time conservation department aide, a DPW Business Manager estimated at $100,000 annually split across enterprise funds, and a full-time Facilities Director — citing a garage project that ballooned from $600,000 to nearly $1 million for lack of oversight. Officials were unambiguous that a potential $65 million wastewater treatment plant has no funding built into current sewer rates and would require a voter-approved debt exclusion.

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Source: the Finance Committee meeting of February 12, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.