Stoughton Finance Committee Eyes $1.25 Million to Cover Snow Removal Overrun

STOUGHTON — March 4, 2026 — Stoughton Finance Committee reviews DPW budgets and proposes $1.45 million total for snow removal. The committee opened public hearings for the May 4 annual and special town meetings Wednesday and worked through operating budgets for Cedar Hill Golf Course, the facilities department, general highway, snow and ice, solid waste, street lighting, and parks. DPW Director Paul DeFoon reported an overall DPW budget increase of 2.6 percent against a select board directive of no more than 2.9 percent, and proposed raising the standing snow and ice budget floor from $400,000 to $500,000 for fiscal year 2027; a supplemental appropriation of $1.25 million is simultaneously proposed for the special town meeting to cover this year's overrun, which DeFoon said has already exceeded $812,000. Cedar Hill Golf Course, which reached a record 25,000 rounds this fiscal year, carries $1,359,399 in enterprise fund retained earnings and is requesting $210,000 in capital improvements funded entirely from those reserves. Staff acknowledged that Stoughton's recycling rate of roughly 25 percent is below the state average by nearly 15 percentage points, representing an estimated $600,000 in avoidable annual disposal costs. Two IT capital items — a $70,000 wireless system upgrade and a Munis water meter software migration — were tabled to the March 18 meeting pending the attendance of IT Director Trish.