SWAMPSCOTT — The Finance Committee met Thursday evening to begin reviewing the town’s proposed fiscal year 2027-2031 capital plan, a multi-year spending map that includes major construction projects, infrastructure repairs, and proposed equipment investments in municipal vehicles.
Treasurer Patrick Luddy presented the plan line during the virtual meeting. The proposal, recommended by the Capital Improvements Committee, is expected to undergo several more rounds of Finance Committee review before voters consider it at Town Meeting in May.
Among the projects are major multi-million-dollar upgrades to the Department of Public Works lot and the middle school, along with vehicle replacements across several departments. The Committee meticulously reviewed each item, with lengthy discussion about whether the town should continue purchasing electric vehicles, raising questions about cost, incentives, and an existing town policy encouraging their use.
The proposed capital plan includes $100,000 in fiscal year 2027 to purchase electric vehicles for the directors of facilities and the Department of Public Works. Finance Committee member Greg McDonald commented on the cost of the upgrades.
“With all the changes that have come around in the last 12 months, with all the subsidies that have gone away…I don’t want to pay $60,000 when we can get a $40,000 gas vehicle,” he said.
Luddy, along with Rich Raymond of the Capital Investments Committee, contributed that the electric vehicle upgrade was likely a reflection of existing town legislation. The cars being replaced are fully gas-powered.
“This would be consistent with the town’s policy goals, I would say,” Luddy said.
In December 2021, the Swampscott Select Board approved a Sustainable Fleet Policy requiring the town to prioritize electric vehicles when replacing municipal passenger vehicles beginning in fiscal year 2023. The policy states the town will purchase or lease “exclusively battery electric vehicles for all light-duty passenger fleet replacements” unless an exemption is approved.
The policy is tied to the state’s Green Communities Program, which provides grant funding to municipalities that adopt energy reduction practices, including fuel-efficient vehicle purchasing. While these grants are still active, changes in both federal and state spending have made funding less predictable. Committee members said changes to incentive programs have made the financial tradeoffs less clear than when the policy was first adopted.
“I get the environmental aspect of it,” McDonald said. “But we’ve also got to be conscious of the money. And a lot has changed in the last 24 months.”
Finance Committee Chair Eric Hartmann shared a similar sentiment. “I think we’re all kind of cringing at the cost of these vehicles,” he said. “But it’s a bigger question — unless there’s been a change in direction around our adherence to that policy…I think this is the direction the town is taking.”
The issue resurfaced later in the meeting when the committee reviewed a proposed $92,275 fiscal year 2027 purchase of an electric truck for Fire Chief Graham Archer, along with a similar vehicle for the deputy chief and a charging station at the fire department planned for 2028.
Several members noted the vehicle replacement had been included in capital planning for multiple years, but McDonald questioned whether market conditions had changed since it was first proposed.
“I think they’re looking at the Ford F-150 Lightning… they’re not making them anymore. I’m not sure why you would buy a car that they’re not making anymore.”
McDonald referenced low current pricing on the specific model. “They’re trying to get rid of them,” he said.
Vice Chair Erik Schneider pointed out that the figure represented in the capital plan includes additional technology needed in the chief’s vehicle.
Members agreed there was further discussion to be had on the specific model and associated costs. Vehicle pricing, availability, and incentive eligibility can shift between the time a capital plan is drafted and when a purchase is made, complicating long-term budgeting.
Electric vehicles generally cost more upfront but are expected to reduce fuel and maintenance expenses over time, leaving the committee weighing predictable operating costs against uncertain markets.
The capital plan also includes funding for two police cruisers. Luddy said the department previously experimented with hybrid vehicles but encountered reliability issues.
“They had purchased hybrid Ford Cruisers,” he said. “And there was a certain model year that we purchased several of that there was a big recall on, and they were problematic. So they are looking at other models now.”
No vote was taken on the capital plan, but members indicated the question may ultimately require redirection beyond the committee’s budget review. Further information was requested on several items, including a discussion on whether the town intends to continue prioritizing electric vehicles under its existing policy or reconsider the approach as costs and incentives change. Voters will have the final decision on funding the purchases at Town Meeting in May.