Milford Capital Subcommittee Warns Free Cash May Limit Spending in Fiscal 2027

MILFORD — May 13, 2026 — Milford Capital Planning subcommittee warns of a tighter capital year as free cash pressure mounts. The subcommittee met May 13 to review general government accounts, with a senior town official cautioning that the town's $1.75 million annual capital baseline may not be supplemented by free cash this cycle — a break from recent years in which roughly $1.5 million in free cash pushed actual capital spending above $3 million annually. A taser purchase covering 84 units over four years is headed to Town Meeting; an animal control vehicle replacement, estimated at $72,000 for a pickup-cage-style unit with four-wheel drive and containment features, is penciled in for fiscal 2027. On ADA compliance, the town has appropriated approximately $1.05 million to date under its transition plan, with about $358,000 remaining unspent; the official said a $25,000 earmark request submitted through State Senator Becca Roush's office could reduce what the town needs to request at the October Town Meeting, and that the annual $150,000 ADA appropriation is expected to continue for another three to five years.