Bridgewater Finance Committee Recommends Six FY26 Transfer Orders Totaling Over $290,000

BRIDGEWATER — June 16, 2026 — Bridgewater Finance Committee recommends eight budget orders, raises questions about transfer station viability. The committee voted unanimously at its June 16 meeting to recommend six end-of-year fiscal year 2026 transfer orders and the fiscal year 2027 Community Preservation Act reserve budget, all to the Town Council. The largest single general fund transfer line item was $124,000 for town buildings, driven by National Grid electricity delivery rate increases and the addition of the new fire station to the municipal building inventory; the overall general fund transfer came in above $290,000, well below the roughly $1 million moved in recent prior years. Water and sewer enterprise fund salary transfers were driven by the split of a previously combined superintendent position into two full-time roles — a structural change that will permanently increase enterprise fund costs. An emergency sewer capital fund transfer was approved to allow purchase of a replacement generator, with lead times running approximately six months. The CPA fund balance stands at roughly $5.3 million, with about $3.2 million uncommitted, and interest income this fiscal year has reached $150,000. The committee agreed to schedule a future agenda item on the long-term financial sustainability of the transfer station, where revenues are running 121 percent above estimates but the fund's sole employee is nearing retirement and equipment costs are escalating.