[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6091510,"mediaKeyId","2861272-084b7f70d7a8890baf1c3e35363db569","parentId",2861272,"title","Norwood FinCom drafts memo and recommends capital, pension and special-education reserve articles for special town meeting","audioSeconds",2584,"startMs",2134105,"endMs",4719015,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2861272-084b7f70d7a8890baf1c3e35363db569&start=2134&end=4719","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2861272-084b7f70d7a8890baf1c3e35363db569/thumbnail_2134105.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6091510/Town-of-Norwood/Norfolk-County/Massachusetts/Norwood-FinCom-drafts-memo-and-recommends-capital-pension-and-special-education-reserve-articles-for-special-town-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6091510-88b89f2bf815f0fc967f1600954a5cea/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203246&Signature=FKc9KZIezcvZbTNBVgtqWz78tEAhxH6Sr-msT9fdgYeI9cn5bdbI4wUNL6pbuZeij32sPo-qO32h1TKBw0skqdPUlVydiOqN3R4FsdwRzAwXGYpKMRM5QH5cNXRfRquP~OHVhFGcBYMv4rgV4UKswWOg5r~SVE1HvA6Fwa8EZN0Cwpp5vuVpmTUabnKgcOP69~bQl~2H9i1S3wUfbGK~J55MAcxPs3qKPJQSG41Wq4a8A2iv9~2dJK~nHywanFp7eNahcmp9UB2nRqGsh4Sa3TPa4JYVm5EtmOYUKWlHF9ymtFv9XXACp~CtZJRl1zu60ChgQdnHr4Dyq264fJi8RQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Norwood, MA","date","2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","article","During the March 27 meeting the Town of Norwood Finance Committee discussed special‑town‑meeting warrant planning and directed staff to prepare a memo to the Board of Selectmen outlining the finance committee's priorities and rationale. The committee agreed that two members would attend the Board of Selectmen meeting on April 8 (the day after the town election) to present the committee's recommendations.

Key committee recommendations and votes recorded in the meeting included:
- Rescind the spring request for an additional general-purpose stabilization appropriation and instead \"reconsider in the fall.\" The committee voted to remove the spring general-purpose stabilization request from its recommended list with the explicit understanding it will be revisited in the fall town meeting schedule. The motion carried unanimously with the amendment that the item be reconsidered in the fall.
- Recommend a special education reserve (the School Committee's proposal) to the Board of Selectmen, with the committee supporting placement of that article on the warrant (the transcript records this recommendation as approved unanimously by the Finance Committee).
- Recommend that a warrant article be drafted to place compensated-absences funding on the special-town-meeting warrant (amount to be determined). The committee voted to request the article be included with the amount to be set later.
- Recommend establishing a pension reserve fund and to include a funding article (amount TBD) on the warrant; the committee voted to recommend both establishing the fund and asking the Board of Selectmen to include a funding article.
- Recommend establishing a capital stabilization fund (special-purpose stabilization for capital) as a warrant article. That motion passed on the committee floor with recorded support and opposition; the meeting record shows the motion passed 4–1.

Committee members discussed the fiscal context driving these recommendations: the prospective use of free cash to balance the FY26 budget (the chair noted that $7,450,000 in free cash would be applied to balance the budget as approved), the existence of proceeds associated with the Coakley Middle School override and debt issuance, and the committee's preference for preserving free-cash options for near-term capital needs rather than spending them without prioritized criteria.

The committee asked staff to draft a memo for the Board of Selectmen that (1) explains the committee's long-term fiscal concerns, (2) identifies the warrant articles the Finance Committee recommends for the spring special town meeting, and (3) notes items recommended for possible fall reconsideration. The memo-drafting assignment was accepted by the chair and Sarah Sullivan (who volunteered to help). The committee also discussed who would attend the April 8 Board of Selectmen meeting to present the memo; Sarah agreed to attend and asked for one additional member to join her if available.

Members raised technical questions about how surplus bond proceeds from the Coakley Middle School project could be repurposed; town staff clarified the state and bond-market constraints and said that surplus project proceeds, if available, must be used for municipal capital projects consistent with state rules and borrowing requirements.

After discussion the committee moved to the items above; motions and instructions to staff passed by roll call (see actions).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town of Norwood: Finance Commission 3.27.25","oneSentenceSummary","The Finance Committee directed staff to draft a memo to the Board of Selectmen and recommended several special‑town‑meeting warrant articles — including a capital stabilization fund, a pension reserve fund, a special‑education reserve and a compensated‑absences appropriation — while withdrawing a spring request for general‑purpose stabilization to reconsider in the fall.","taxTitle","Town of Norwood, Norfolk County, Massachusetts","taxId",52806,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6091514,"Norwood Finance Committee approves FY26 operating budget, shared costs and CPC funding recommendations",2172,73095,2245480,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2861272-084b7f70d7a8890baf1c3e35363db569&start=73&end=2245","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2861272-084b7f70d7a8890baf1c3e35363db569/thumbnail_73095.jpg","/articles/6091514/Town-of-Norwood/Norfolk-County/Massachusetts/Norwood-Finance-Committee-approves-FY26-operating-budget-shared-costs-and-CPC-funding-recommendations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6091514-44085e95e65df9adb94a321d2475f0d3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203246&Signature=bd1L8sbtDwnCcsyROotMiDq77d6BKMuVqX4ubnO~CfJA~JMHsUu7A1dvVYi~2yTwpDNL03m3qj0VVmAGPATvGdEr7wy3XnmAY5puVKUEAthBvqJlJQrzoVhywtB~rKf4ujIdHQM1myQSd3aUVDkVBut64Ygzrib7Hyi3AvQYU4titkfdY76v26~BpaSp9YZ2y9XbJk1LmrzNPOBoRTox5YbfWn8LZ8HKrm~XMtLjN2sGz0sBv0rc1W2bCNyrPEAdsT4367SEk0IJcK4JJFD5DZHGZ13WCftNEBYDkoBFUoGiekGMQ3B7vx5Og5ollVYTiw29P97RpDJWh12FEfu0WQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town of Norwood Finance Committee voted on March 27 to approve key components of the FY26 operating budget and related spending plans, including the general government total, the school budget, shared costs and Community Preservation Committee (CPC) project recommendations.

Committee members approved the general government total of $43,187,399, the school budget of $65,292,117 and a shared-costs package totaling $46,901,808. The Finance Committee also voted to add $1,050,730 to CPC reserve accounts and approved a slate of CPC project appropriations totaling $748,000, all by recorded roll call votes.

The budget approvals were taken by category: committee members voted on the category-level line items that feed the townwide bottom line (salaries, operating and capital lines inside each category) and then confirmed the aggregated totals that will go forward on the warrant. Votes on the individual categories (general government and its internal accounts, public safety, facilities, health and human services, culture and recreation and the school budget) were presented from the budget packet and polled separately; the meeting record shows unanimous approvals on those items.

Jeff O'Neil, who supplied the budget documents and the Section 1 budget book, answered technical questions about line-item totals and confirmed the versions in the meeting packet. Theresa Stewart attended to represent the School Committee during the school-budget vote. The CPC presentation (Kristen Phelps was identified as the committee contact) outlined projected FY26 CPC receipts of $909,627 and an estimated state match of about $141,000; the CPC recommended $748,000 in project spending while leaving positive balances in each CPA account.

Votes \"at a glance\" in the meeting record include approval of minutes from March 20, 2025, the general government total ($43,187,399), the school total ($65,292,117), the shared-costs total ($46,901,808), and CPC reserve and project appropriations. The committee also polled and approved the constituent category subtotals that comprise the town total; those individual category votes were announced and recorded during the meeting.

The committee discussed health-insurance enrollment and noted that open enrollment results will provide firmer numbers by July 1, with any necessary mid-year adjustments addressed during FY26. Jeff O'Neil told the committee, \"we're gonna go with that number\" for the health-insurance line after reviewing participation across the enterprise funds and departments. The Committee also reviewed the budget book and asked staff to ensure the packet contains the most recent March 18/03/05 budget summary pages used to produce the totals.

The votes were taken by roll call and recorded as unanimous for the listed items; the meeting minutes show the chair casting the final vote in each roll call. The Finance Committee closed the operating-budget portion of the meeting after confirming that the packet matched the numbers approved during February–March budget reviews.

The committee then moved on to discussion of special town-meeting warrant articles and other business (separately reported).","At its March 27 meeting the Town of Norwood Finance Committee approved the FY26 operating budget line items and shared-costs schedule and unanimously approved Community Preservation Committee funding recommendations; the committee also approved minutes from its March 20 meeting.","actionData","errors"]

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Norwood FinCom drafts memo and recommends capital, pension and special-education reserve articles for special town meeting

Norwood Finance Committee approves FY26 operating budget, shared costs and CPC funding recommendations