Barnstable County finance panel trims IT initiatives, raises registry revenue estimate and approves IT-budget review by communications subcommittee

Barnstable County’s standing finance committee met March 10 to review the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, hearing administration explanations for several cuts and revenue adjustments and voting to have the communications subcommittee review the county’s IT budget and report back.

County Administrator Dutton told the committee the only substantive changes to the draft budget were expense reductions in IT and a deferred finance program, plus an upward adjustment to registry-of-deeds revenue projections. “The budget in front of you is one that we've been talking about on and off for several months now,” Dutton said, adding the IT cuts were made because staff expect to seek state grant funding or, if that fails, a supplemental request later in the year.

The committee heard specifics from Finance Director Carol…