Dighton Select Board Eyes Enterprise Fund and Debt Exclusion to Close $955,000 Gap

DIGHTON -- July 23, 2025, Dighton Select Board confronts a nearly $1 million fiscal year 2027 budget gap, with no easy fixes in sight. Town Administrator Ralph Tocco told the board Wednesday that the projected shortfall stands at approximately $955,000, reduced from an earlier estimate of $1.1 million after about $182,000 in pilot agreement revenue came in. Tocco outlined three non-exclusive options: a sanitation enterprise fund funded in part by bag fees, a debt exclusion ballot question covering Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School and Bristol County Agricultural High School obligations that together have run as high as $910,000 annually, and service and personnel reductions to be detailed at the next regular meeting. Missy Hollandback, a Municipal Assistance Coordinator with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, warned the board that a $7 per bag price, the highest in the state, risks destabilizing enterprise fund revenue if residents shift habits, noting that even a 10 percent switch from large to small bags could cost the town close to $100,000. The board is expected to give formal budget direction at the August 27 meeting; if a debt exclusion is pursued, the average assessed-value household would see an annual tax increase of approximately $310.59.