Norfolk County approves $160,000 correction to Aggie School FY25 budget and affirms FY26 revote; Register supplemental not acted on

The Norfolk County Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve a $160,000 intra-budget transfer to correct funds that county staff said had been moved into the wrong accounts for the Norfolk County Agricultural High School’s fiscal 2025 budget, and they affirmed a trustees’ revote of the school’s fiscal 2026 operating budget.

Chairman Shables opened the meeting by reading an executive order on remote participation and noting that “On 03/28/2025, Governor Healy signed into law House Bill 62,” which extends the option for public bodies to hold remote meetings by suspending certain provisions of the open meeting law through June 30, 2027.

Director John Cronin told commissioners the $160,000 action was a correction of an earlier transfer error. “This afternoon’s transfer request totals $160,000 and it basically removes the funds that were previously moved into the wrong account, puts them back in the right account, and adjusts it, pursuant to the original design,” Cronin said. He said the transfer moves money from classroom teacher professional salaries to employee separation costs, heating, building maintenance and contract services.

The commissioners approved the FY25 transfer on a roll-call vote that counted three yes votes: Commissioner Collins, Commissioner Stade and Chairman Shables. The motion had been moved and seconded on the record.

Separately, commissioners considered a supplemental request from the Register of Deeds for $154,840 that Cronin said would fortify non-salary line items including telephones, legal fees, technical office equipment, printing, contractual services, food supplies, postage, office supplies, law books, rentals, office furniture and miscellaneous equipment. Cronin told the board that after earlier supplemental allocations the county had “somewhere in the vicinity of $13,000 remaining,” and he relayed legal advice about the status of anticipated deed excise receipts.

“Counsel has advised us that such funds, when and if they are realized, will be recommended to go into this reserve fund until the litigation associated with the 64 d matter is resolved,” Cronin said. Commissioners did not act on the Register’s supplemental request at the meeting.

On an emergency-item revote, commissioners also affirmed a trustees’ revote of the Norfolk County Agricultural High School fiscal 2026 operating budget. The motion before the board set the FY26 operating budget at $18,438,465 with a revised revenue figure stated in the meeting as $1,818,648,035. The board conducted a roll-call for that item after members raised procedural questions about whether a roll call was required; the transcript records opposing and supporting votes during that exchange and commissioners proceeded to record votes on the revote.

The meeting agenda was brief, focused on those fiscal items, and included no public commenters in the Zoom session. Commissioners scheduled ministerial follow-ups: staff will arrange for the necessary signatures on budget documents at a subsequent in-person meeting.

Minutes: the board adjourned at about 5:36 p.m.