Bellingham Select Board Backs Creative Financing Probe for $5.8 Million Road Shortfall

BELLINGHAM — May 19, 2026 — Bellingham Select Board 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.