Sudbury Housing Authority adopts $677,060 operating budget, approves ED contract and CFA amendment
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Summary
The Sudbury Housing Authority approved its FY2026 operating budget, authorized the executive director's three-year contract and approved an amendment to a state Contract for Financial Assistance at its meeting. Board members also authorized signatures for related state filings and contract documents.
The Sudbury Housing Authority on Tuesday approved an operating budget that shows $677,060 in total revenue, $734,555 in total expenses and a requested state subsidy of $112,036 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026.
The vote came after Executive Director Sheila outlined the 2026 budget packet and told the board the state gave the authority a roughly 12% annual increase — about $50,000 — on top of other program reimbursements. “We were actually shocked to see the 12%,” Sheila said during her presentation, noting program reimbursement increases for legal, heat-pump support and the resident service coordinator grant.
The budget motion, moved on the floor and read into the record, also asked the Department of Housing and Community Development to review the executive director’s total annual salary of $68,418 for the same fiscal year. The board approved the budget by roll call 5–0.
In the same meeting the board voted to approve a three-year employment contract for the executive director and to authorize the chairperson to sign the agreement on the authority’s behalf. The motion to approve the ED contract included authorization for the chair to execute the contract; the board voted in favor.
The board also approved amendment number 20 to a Contract for Financial Assistance (CFA) with the Commonwealth. The amendment — enumerated in the meeting record as CFA amendment 20, total amount $96,344.62 — lists multiple line items tied to past or ongoing projects (for example, asbestos abatement tied to a fire-alarm project and a capital item for automatic door openers). The board moved and seconded the CFA amendment, and members voted to authorize the chair to sign. The board later amended that authorization to allow the treasurer to sign as well; that amendment passed.
Other financial items reviewed included monthly checks and routine financial reconciliations. The board approved the checks for February in a separate vote before taking up the budget.
The executive director’s presentation included several reserve and program details: the packet showed a projected “reserve if fully spent” of about 44% (above the state-required 35% threshold if every budgeted item were spent), and a separately held restricted reserve of about $239,800. Sheila said restricted funds had been earmarked years earlier for capital projects and that some restricted balances could be used to cover shortfalls on the fire-alarm project.
Board members asked for clarification about program-level reimbursements (for example, the resident service coordinator grant, which the director said was budgeted at $70,000) and about one-off reimbursements from the Massachusetts Housing Partnership for directly paid insurance premiums. The executive director said the authority typically pays insurance directly and requests reimbursement from the third-party grant administrator.
The board also approved a placement contract with Franklin Professional Associates for recruiting/placement services and voted to authorize execution of a staffing placement agreement with that firm.
The board’s approvals require follow-up filings with state agencies. The budget and ED salary materials were submitted for Department of Housing and Community Development review as part of the state-aided housing annual process; the CFA amendment is a statewide contract amendment and will be executed through the Commonwealth’s contracting system.
The meeting ended with routine administrative items and scheduling of follow-up tasks, including circulating finalized contract signatures to members who could not sign in person.
Votes at a glance: - Operating budget FY2026 (total revenue $677,060; total expenses $734,555; requested subsidy $112,036): approved by roll call, 5–0. - Executive director three-year contract (term ending 03/31/2025 per motion language on the table): approved; chair authorized to sign. - Contract for Financial Assistance, Amendment 20 (CFA amendment total $96,344.62): approved; chair and treasurer authorized to sign.
The authority’s next meeting will include routine items and follow-up on the projects and contracts discussed at this session.
