Westford approves $143.9 million fiscal‑2027 budget; pay‑as‑you‑throw implementation survives citizen petition
March 29, 2026 | Westford Public Schools, School Boards, Massachusetts
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Westford's Town Meeting voted to approve the fiscal 2027 operating budget and several related measures Saturday, including funding lines tied to the town's planned pay‑as‑you‑throw (PAYT) solid‑waste program, even as residents pressed officials for implementation details and protections for large households.
Moderator read a proposed operating total of $143,869,234 and the meeting considered appropriations funded from non‑tax sources before proceeding line by line. The education total was listed as $73,415,660 for Westford Public Schools; the Finance Committee packet contains a further breakdown.
The budget debate focused heavily on solid waste. Staff and residents discussed how PAYT would reduce tonnage and change household behavior — a change staff said typically produces a 10–40% reduction in other towns and estimated "around a 15% savings" for Westford while noting contract escalators and other cost drivers. Town staff told the meeting that initial carts (over 8,000) would be paid for via a state grant and funds already approved under a previous article, not directly by residents.
On the specific line item for waste disposal services, Town Meeting approved the appropriation of $2,833,267 by a vote of 192 yes to 45 no. Town staff told voters the estimated local revenue from PAYT fees and bag sales had been conservatively projected at $275,000, helping offset new program costs and an $80,000 payroll line for the operations analyst that had just been placed on the pay classification plan.
A citizen petition (Article 22) asked the meeting to rescind the Select Board decision to implement PAYT and to continue curbside service under prior terms. Lead petitioner Megan O'Connell said the current implementation would "disproportionately affect larger families" and urged a more gradual reduction in allowed container size. After sustained debate and questions about hybrid versus fully automated collection, Town Meeting defeated the petition, 153 to 77.
Other votes during the session included a two‑thirds approval to transfer an easement on the JV Fletcher Library property to National Grid (Article 19) by 216 yes to 14 no, and a majority approval to petition the General Court to allow online legal notices (Article 20). Police Chief Mark Chambers presented a bylaw banning publicly accessible cryptocurrency kiosks — which he said have been linked to scams totaling nearly $600,000 in Westford during the past three years — and Town Meeting approved the bylaw by voice vote.
Officials closed the meeting asking residents to return clickers and contact Town Hall for procedural clarifications; they also pledged to provide additional detail on budget line items in the Finance Committee packet and follow up on operational questions raised during debate.
Moderator read a proposed operating total of $143,869,234 and the meeting considered appropriations funded from non‑tax sources before proceeding line by line. The education total was listed as $73,415,660 for Westford Public Schools; the Finance Committee packet contains a further breakdown.
The budget debate focused heavily on solid waste. Staff and residents discussed how PAYT would reduce tonnage and change household behavior — a change staff said typically produces a 10–40% reduction in other towns and estimated "around a 15% savings" for Westford while noting contract escalators and other cost drivers. Town staff told the meeting that initial carts (over 8,000) would be paid for via a state grant and funds already approved under a previous article, not directly by residents.
On the specific line item for waste disposal services, Town Meeting approved the appropriation of $2,833,267 by a vote of 192 yes to 45 no. Town staff told voters the estimated local revenue from PAYT fees and bag sales had been conservatively projected at $275,000, helping offset new program costs and an $80,000 payroll line for the operations analyst that had just been placed on the pay classification plan.
A citizen petition (Article 22) asked the meeting to rescind the Select Board decision to implement PAYT and to continue curbside service under prior terms. Lead petitioner Megan O'Connell said the current implementation would "disproportionately affect larger families" and urged a more gradual reduction in allowed container size. After sustained debate and questions about hybrid versus fully automated collection, Town Meeting defeated the petition, 153 to 77.
Other votes during the session included a two‑thirds approval to transfer an easement on the JV Fletcher Library property to National Grid (Article 19) by 216 yes to 14 no, and a majority approval to petition the General Court to allow online legal notices (Article 20). Police Chief Mark Chambers presented a bylaw banning publicly accessible cryptocurrency kiosks — which he said have been linked to scams totaling nearly $600,000 in Westford during the past three years — and Town Meeting approved the bylaw by voice vote.
Officials closed the meeting asking residents to return clickers and contact Town Hall for procedural clarifications; they also pledged to provide additional detail on budget line items in the Finance Committee packet and follow up on operational questions raised during debate.
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