Capital committee lays out FY27 planning steps as free cash estimate arrives in September

Assistant Town Manager Cheryl Walsh presented the committee with the fiscal 2027 capital manual and a plan for preparing fall town meeting warrant articles. "I think it's important to reiterate at this point that the committee considers $25,000 as the baseline for a nonrecurring, capital project or piece of equipment," Walsh said, framing which requests qualify as capital for committee review.

Walsh said certified free cash will not be available until after September but administration can provide an early estimate in the first week of September. Committee members requested a five‑year view of total debt (including debt exclusion and operating debt), a roll‑forward showing additions to the capital stabilization fund, and background PDFs for each project. Members agreed to an Aug. 19 meeting to "tease out" FY27 and FY28 items and to two possible September meetings if free cash allows a warrant recommendation.