Bellingham Selectboard Backs Creative Financing Probe for $5.8 Million Road Shortfall

BELLINGHAM -- May 19, 2026, Bellingham Selectboard unanimously backs exploration of a District Improvement Financing district to close a $5.8 million shortfall on the Hartford Avenue traffic improvement project. Town Administrator Joe Lyons told the board Monday that bids came in well above the original estimate despite $5.5 million already secured through MassWorks, MassDOT, and economic development grants, plus a $2.66 million conditional commitment from WS Development. A DIF district would capture incremental property tax revenue from new development within a designated area to pay off infrastructure debt without raising the town's tax rate, and would require town meeting approval, achievable with as little as 45 days' notice. Lyons is to bring a consultant and a detailed timeline to the June 15 board meeting, with the current bid valid only through June 22. In a related budget briefing, Lyons warned that the town's general stabilization fund stands at only 3.77 percent of budget against a state-recommended minimum of five to seven percent, and that town-side cuts of roughly $500,000 are required regardless of the outcome of a pending override vote, with fire officials warning that further reductions could trigger brownout conditions at the South Bellingham station.