Nahant DPW Budget Holds Steady as Water and Sewer Rates Rise 4 Percent

NAHANT — March 26, 2026 — Nahant Finance Committee reviews DPW budget for FY2027 with water and sewer rates set to rise 4 percent. DPW Superintendent Zach Taylor, in his seventh year, walked the committee through all three funding streams — the general fund, the Water and Sewer Enterprise Fund, and the Rubbish Enterprise Fund — at the March 26 Zoom meeting chaired by Bob Vanderslice. Most general fund lines came in at or below a 2 percent increase, but snow and ice spending, budgeted at $30,000, far exceeded its allocation after a difficult winter; typical annual expenditure runs between $125,000 and $175,000. Town Accountant Allison told the committee that a 4 percent average rate increase is projected for water and sewer customers in FY2027, driven primarily by a higher MWRA assessment, while noting that $18 million in authorized sewer borrowing is carried on the property tax rate rather than user fees. An automatic water meter replacement project covering all town properties is expected to begin installation around mid-June. The committee also discussed, without a formal vote, whether sports leagues using town fields — Little League, softball, soccer — should be charged fees, with member Tim saying it is uncommon for towns not to charge, and the group floating a recommendation to the town administrator as a near-term action rather than a next-year study.