Dartmouth Select Board Creates Economic Development Committee, Approves Trailer Permit

Select Board · Meeting of February 9, 2026

Dartmouth Select Board unanimously approves Economic Development Committee and hears FY27 budget warning. The five-member board, chaired by Heidi Silva Brooks, voted 5-0 Monday to adopt the charge for a new seven-member Economic Development Committee aimed at supporting existing businesses and attracting new investment to town. Director of Budget and Finance Gary Carreiro presented an FY27 overview showing the base tax levy at $78,817,975, with 57 percent of the general fund directed to the schools and state aid numbers, 14 percent of revenue, not expected until April or May.

The board also voted unanimously to approve a temporary trailer permit for a family building a home at 0 Jason Drive, conditional on sign-offs from the Board of Health, DPW, and Conservation, and approved sending a letter to the School Committee asking it to revisit residency rules in the applicant's case. In a separate unanimous vote, the board closed a public hearing on six Eversource utility poles that were installed on High Hill Road before the company received required Select Board approval, a procedural breakdown that drew complaints from abutter Ian Mello of 613 High Hill Road. The town certified nearly $43.8 million in free cash between fiscal years 2020 and 2025, averaging $8.5 million annually, but Carreiro cautioned that school costs continue to outpace revenue growth.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of February 9, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.