UPDATED: Town Meeting – Arlington’s annual legislative session, where nearly 100 articles and resolutions, including all of the town’s budgets, will be voted on – opened on Monday, April 27, at Robbins Memorial Town Hall.
This is the first major gathering of town officials since the town election on March 28, when voters overwhelmingly approved a $14.8 million operating override to help keep the town’s books balanced for the next three years. Arlington has a representative Town Meeting, with 12 members from each of the town’s 21 precincts who vote issues ranging from zoning changes to all of the budgets to voter-submitted warrant articles such as banning certain rodenticides. The Town Meeting warrant, the agenda that the members use, contains 96 articles and resolutions. It is one of the largest warrants in recent history.
Town Moderator Greg Christiana, the elected head of Town Meeting, and a committee have worked over the last year to improve and streamline how Town Meeting members and others can follow along as the business is conducted. This includes a “progress tracker” for the Town Meeting warrant.
Town Meeting meets on Mondays and Wednesdays in town hall (and an annex area for members) from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. until all the warrant articles are heard and the business of the town is completed. The public can attend the sessions, there is seating in the auditorium balcony, or watch on the local communit access cable channel ACMi.
One of the more important actions of Town Meeting is the approval (or adjustment) of budgets, a process that began months ago with department heads planning, board and commission meetings, and hearings with the town’s Finance Committee.
“Articles are generally taken in numeric order, but in some cases, articles need to be taken out of order to schedule presenters and ensure relevant staff is present to answer questions,” according to a post from the town. Town Meeting will be asked to take up Articles 64 to 67 (town budgets and the capital budget plus two feasibility studies) on May 6 and Article 72 (appropriation / Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School and out of District Vocational Placements) on May 11.
To help Town Meeting members and town voters understand the budgets, Town Manager Jim Feeney has released his budget and financial plan for Fiscal Year 2027, which begins on July 1, 2026. “The Annual Budget & Financial Plan provides residents with an overview of the budget process, as well as an explanation of the Town’s departments and organization. It serves as a policy document, a financial guide, and a communications device to residents,” according to a town press release. View the FY2027 Town Manager’s Annual Budget & Financial Plan.
The moderator announced that there will again be a progress tracker with direct links to each article in the “Annotated Warrant” and is updated in real time as votes are taken. It will also reflect articles with scheduled dates.
Also, the Select Board will meet tonight prior to the first session of Town Meeting. On the agenda is a measure to review and approve a bond issue of $7 million of “general obligation bond anticipation notes” and “award sale of $3.18 million of obligation municipal purpose loan.”
The board will also vote on the Arlington Historical Society’s request for liquor licenses needed to hold the weekly music event in the yard of the Jason Russell House, as well as Town Day, Porchfest, and the organization’s annual fundraising event. And, the board will hear from Town Manager Feeney on his request to appoint Michael Ciampa, as the town’s designated Fence
Viewers “in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 49, Section 1, which reads as follows: Section 1. The mayor of each city, subject to confirmation by the city council, and the selectmen of each town shall annually appoint two or more fence viewers, to hold office for one year and until their successors are qualified.” The fence viewer position dates back to Colonial times and was created to resolve boundary disputes.
In a similar nod to the town’s earliest days, Article 4 will appoint the town’s Measurer of Wood and Bark.
The Redevelopment Board is also slated to meet tonight in the Town Hall annex at 7 p.m. to just before Town Meeting opens. The board’s agenda includes reopening the special permit hearing for Docket 3823 for a project at 1347-1359 Mass. Ave.
This news story, published April 27, 2026, was written using information posted and provided by the town and town moderator.
