Town manager paints a cautious fiscal picture as Westford touts grants and projects

Town Manager Kristen Lass delivered the State of the Town to Westford's 297th meeting, balancing a list of recent accomplishments with a cautionary budget outlook.

Lass told voters the town had secured more than $2.2 million in grant funding and roughly $581,000 in utility rebates and highlighted a $1 million-plus earmark for work at the PAS water treatment plant alongside state contributions of more than $15 million to the Boston Road project. "We have shown over the past year that we are responsive and responsible town government," Lass said, listing staff recruiting successes, emergency-response exercises, and new harnessed grants and rebates.

At the same time, Lass said General Fund pressures remain. "Costs are rising faster than projected revenue growth under Proposition 2 and the fiscal 26 and 27 budgets rely on planned use of one-time funds to maintain key services," she told the meeting. Among items that worry staff are health-insurance increases, retirement liabilities, deferred maintenance, and higher wastewater-treatment costs. Lass also related Westford Public Schools budget movements, noting a 4.8% overall general fund budget increase and steps the schools are taking to manage non-general fund reserves.

Lass recommended reinstituting professional development funding, investing in technology to improve resident experience, and continuing long-term capital planning; she also told the meeting that the town is pursuing a hybrid operational analyst position tied to a pay-as-you-throw program that could yield net savings of about $124,000.

Why it matters: the town's budget for FY27 will go into effect July 1, and the manager's presentation sets the priorities and risks that Town Meeting will weigh as voters approve warrant articles.