YourArlington founder Bob Sprague offers his opinion in a periodic column titled “Perspective: Ah-lington.”
The 2025 annual Town Meeting gets underway Monday, April 28, in uncertain times — shaped by a president who would be king. How might that national doubt — fueled by foolish tariffs, immigrants who are unconstitutionally “disappeared” and mindless cuts to government and research — affect the outcome of 79 Arlington articles?
We don’t know yet. The damage threatened by the Trump administration has yet to play out clearly on town finances. Whatever occurs on Town Hall from 8 to 11 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays will do so with local concerns in the forefront and echoes of national chaos mostly in the background. Listen for echoes to resound in the coming months.
This order of priorities points to a continuing strength of Town Meeting. Consider, for example, Article 40, whether to amend the zoning bylaw expanding allowable residential uses in two single-family districts. Will this expand housing options, as proponent David Levy hopes, or end the town’s character as we know it, as you expect other Town Meeting members to claim?
Whatever the town’s representatives decide, they will be exercising the local levers of democracy in a long-established order maintained by the moderator.
In an opinion piece in March, Moderator Greg Christiana acknowledged our uncertain times as well as the value of Town Meeting:
“Right now people are afraid, and they’re losing hope. They see a government that is systematically chilling free speech and steering into constitutional crises. The tyranny of fear is setting in. It might seem like a good time to keep your head down and stay quiet, but silence at a time like this would be a grave mistake. Here, in the cradle of American democracy, we’ve always stood against tyranny. And I hope we always will.
“No matter what your views are on important issues like education, housing, taxes, immigration, the environment … we need to work together to ensure that voters are informed not by fabrications and intimidation but by facts and free speech. We need to demand that our elected leaders uphold their oath to the Constitution, and serve all their constituents, not just the ones who agree with them.”
So speak your mind, meeting members. Stand up for the institution you represent. And do so respectfully.
Among the many unknowns shadowing Town Meeting this year involves finances. The Finance Committee’s report to Town Meeting acknowledges those doubts, while “the Town keeps its promise of no new override before FY2027.”
It continues: “While the FY2026 budget is balanced, the Town faces a significant $13.5 million deficit next year, followed by an even larger $21.5 [million] deficit predicted for FY2028 . … As dire as these projections are, still they do not take into account any loss in federal funding, any reduction in State aid, any spike in inflation, the possibility of a recession, or other financial disruptions beyond our control that may further increase our expenses or further reduce our revenue.”
Then this stern warning: “This Town Meeting should review this FY2026 budget with the understanding that another override vote is likely between now and next year’s Town Meeting, and that painful choices will have to be made.”
Here’s where meeting members need to offer their voices in careful consideration — about next year.
