Charlton Finance Committee Approves $1.6 Million Capital Plan, Adds Senior Center Study

CHARLTON — September 23, 2025 — Charlton Finance Committee backs $1.6 million capital plan and adds $50,000 senior center study over Select Board objection. Meeting Tuesday, the committee unanimously approved sending a capital improvement plan to Special Town Meeting drawing on $2.8 million in certified free cash, with the largest single item a $500,000 supplement to the landfill closure project, whose bids came in above the original $2 million authorization. The committee also unanimously added a $50,000 feasibility study for the Charlton Furniture property as a potential senior center — a line the Select Board had refused to place on the warrant — with Town Administrator Andrew Dowd advising any floor mover to see him first to ensure the motion meets Attorney General filing standards. Separately, the committee reviewed a plan to allocate nearly $5 million in unexpected new growth revenue, the bulk of it generated by Amazon's personal property tax assessment at its Charlton fulfillment center, with $1.5 million earmarked for general stabilization, $1 million for capital stabilization, and $800,000 set aside in the assessor's overlay account in case Amazon challenges its valuation at the Appellate Tax Board.