Arlington is a great place to live.
Our vibrant, friendly neighborhoods are part of a town supported by responsive Community Safety departments, Health and Human Services focused on the well being of all residents, Public Works that manage everything from our parks to our sewers, and Libraries with more resources than most of us have had a chance to discover.
But today, inflation, rising costs and increasingly limited state and federal funding mean Arlington must generate more local revenue to maintain essential community services.
Town leadership is unified in recognizing the need for an override now. The Select Board, the School Committee, and the Finance Committee have all voted to support this override as both necessary and urgent.
We have:
- A careful, strategic fiscal approach that allowed the town to achieve the highest possible (AAA) bond rating.
- One of only a handful of school districts in Massachusetts to match or exceed pre-pandemic MCAS scores in 2025
- Programs and services for residents ranging from the youngest to the oldest supporting their health, financial challenges, and more.
On March 28, Arlington will vote on a Proposition 2 ½ override to collect more tax revenue, keep our budget balanced, and fund public resources for every Arlington resident.
Why Now?
Arlington will always need to periodically ask for overrides to keep pace with inflation, but we face even bigger challenges today. The costs of insurance, services, utilities and supplies the Town needs are rising dramatically, and financial support from the state and federal government is limited. With the constraints of Proposition 2½ Proposition 2½ is a state law that prevents town property tax revenues from going up by more than 2.5% each year, excluding new construction — even if property values increase more than 2.5%. Any further revenue must be approved by voters in an override. Because inflation and the costs for providing town services rise faster than 2.5% every year, overrides are necessary from time to time., Arlington cannot balance its budget without passing an override vote — or making painful cuts to the schools and services.
Promises Kept
Each time Arlington passed an override vote, the town committed not to ask for another override until a set date – promises Arlington kept, sometimes stretching funds past the planned date.
The Select Board voted to put an override on the ballot now because without one, there will be painful cuts to the services everyone in town relies on.
FY24-26
Voting Yes maintains the services we all rely on and the hard-won improvements of the past decade. Let’s protect what makes our town thrive and plan responsibly for the future. Let’s keep Arlington strong.
Check back for more detailed information as it becomes available. We’ll be updating this site!