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Brookline Select Board adopts FY2027 goals and objectives to guide budget process
Summary
The Select Board approved a clarified set of fiscal year 2027 goals and objectives intended to guide department budgets and public engagement during the coming budget cycle.
The Brookline Select Board voted unanimously Sept. 16 to adopt a refined set of fiscal year 2027 goals and objectives that will inform departmental budget proposals and the town's financial plan. Chair Bernard Green said the document is intended to make the board's priorities clearer to staff and residents as the budget process advances.
The goals, revised by Select Board member Michael Rubinstein following earlier discussion, foregrounded specific reasons for each goal and more measurable objectives for staff to incorporate into their budget submissions. Rubinstein said the changes are meant to improve transparency and allow town meeting members and the public to track the board's intentions as the fiscal year budget is developed. "It is my hope that this document serves to communicate to both town meeting and the broader public the Select Board's intentions and foci over this budget cycle," Rubinstein said.
Board members discussed the tension between high‑level, widely shared goals and more specific, measurable pledges. They agreed the FY27 document strikes a balance by including benchmarks the board can use to measure progress a year after adoption. The board also added an item urging improvement in town governance through community input.
The Select Board instructed staff to publish the goals on the board's web page and include them in the financial plan that supports the May budget votes. The board voted to adopt the FY2027 goals and objectives unanimously (motion carried, 5‑0).
Why it matters: the goals precede departmental budget proposals and are intended to shape both staff guidance and public engagement during the budget cycle. The Select Board emphasized the document is a live tool to be refined as the budget develops, and asked residents to review and comment.
Ending: The adopted goals will be included in the town's budget materials; board members said they expect to revisit and refine the goals as staff proposals and metrics become available.
