Sudbury FinCom approves $575K in reserve deposits, defers solar canopy votes

SUDBURY -- March 30, 2026, Sudbury Finance Committee backs $575,000 in reserve deposits but pauses on solar canopies. The committee voted 6-2 to recommend Article 11's $300,000 deposit to the Stabilization Fund and Article 12's $275,000 deposit to the Capital Stabilization Fund, with members Ryan Lynch and Karl Fries opposing both. Assistant Town Manager Victor Garofalo reported the Stabilization Fund balance at $6.7 million (5.09 percent of operating budget) and the Capital Stabilization Fund at $2.6 million. Fries argued against building reserves above minimums when "we have known current needs today," while Co-Chair Michael Joachim said "the town of the future will thank us." The committee deferred votes on solar canopy Articles 33-35 at Curtis School, Haskell Field and the Police Station, after consultant Byron Woodman of SolectEnergy disclosed Haskell Field's projected 20-year savings had dropped from $3.4 million to $2.2 million following Eversource interconnection changes. The Energy and Sustainability Committee and Sudbury Housing Authority will appear April 6.