Dighton panel ranks capital needs as cash tightens
The Dighton Capital Planning Committee ranked a slate of capital requests as free cash reserves ran low. Town Administrator Ralph Ataco said the town is directing roughly $600,000 of a $750,000 school-building reimbursement into capital stabilization, bringing it to about $1.1 million.
Capital Planning · Meeting of October 1, 2026
DIGHTON — The Dighton Capital Planning Committee ranked a slate of capital requests as free cash reserves ran low. Town Administrator Ralph Ataco said the town is directing roughly $600,000 of a $750,000 school-building reimbursement into capital stabilization, bringing it to about $1.1 million. The panel prioritized a $66,703 deputy police cruiser over an $83,000 patrol cruiser, a $54,257 communications console upgrade, and a $44,000 emergency dispatch software update partly covered by the ambulance fund.
An unplanned $114,000 antenna relocation, split with Somerset, emerged after the water district announced it will repaint the Elm Street water tank. Highway trucks totaling $591,000 remained unfunded; Treasurer Paul Reynolds noted "every million dollars you look at is approximately 50 cents on the tax rate" in a discussion of a possible capital exclusion. No formal votes were taken; rankings go to the Board of Selectmen's October 14 meeting.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,145 words
Source: the Capital Planning meeting of October 1, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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