Select board budget hearings spotlight austerity plan, library, town clerk, parks and fire staffing debate

The Town of Lakeville held extended department-head budget hearings during its April 9 Select Board meeting. Town Administrator Andrew presented an austerity-focused FY2026 draft, and department heads from the library, town clerk’s office, parks, animal control, veterans services and the Council on Aging outlined program needs and pressures. The meeting also featured a detailed exchange about fire-department staffing and the financial connection between EMS revenue and coverage levels.

Town Administrator’s proposal Andrew told the board he reduced select board and town-administrator expenses and will not take a salary increase next year (a savings he estimated at about $5,000). He proposed not immediately refilling the executive assistant/assistant to the town administrator position (a recurring cost estimated in the packet at roughly $90,000) and moving training and postage budgets into HR and the treasurer’s budgets respectively. Andrew said he wants to limit the use of free cash and asked departments to live within reduced allocations. He also noted a proposal to fund compensated absences at town meeting to pay retiree payouts and related liabilities.

Library (Jennifer Jones) Library Director Jennifer Jones reviewed new services (streaming, Mango Languages, genealogy computer, upgraded Wi-Fi), and said the library expects certification grant payments from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners that depend on meeting municipal appropriation…