Marlborough council, mayor deadlock over $1.4M fire station mitigation transfer

MARLBOROUGH — March 28, 2022 — Marlborough council and mayor deadlock over $1.4M west side fire station mitigation transfer. Council President Michael H. Ossing and Finance Chair Kathleen D. Robey pressed Mayor Arthur Vigeant on March 28 to send down a transfer moving $1,422,500 in Green District developer mitigation payments into the West Side Fire Station Stabilization Account the council established by 5-0 Finance vote and full council order in December. Vigeant declined, saying he was "short cutting the process" by folding roughly $800,000 of the money into a separate $5,092,666 free-cash transfer to purchase 100 Lock Drive as the station site. Ossing called the posture "vindictive and obstructionist," citing a 2019 special permit condition requiring payments "payable to funds or accounts designated by the City Council." Robey said free cash holds $11,233,713 — enough to cover both transfers — and warned uncommitted mitigation funds risk year-end rollover. The Lock Drive land vote returns in two weeks.