Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget Performance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board of Finance accepts quarterly reports, flags high overtime and accounting for $1.5M BOE transfer
Summary
Board members accepted the city's and Board of Education's budget performance reports but pressed staff for line‑item reconciliation after large overtime increases in police and fire and an accounting issue tied to a $1.5M non‑lapsing BOE transfer that auditors recommended be recorded in fiscal 2026.
The Board of Finance voted to accept the city's budget performance reports and the Board of Education's budget performance reports in separate actions and spent substantial time pressing staff for explanations of several large variances.
A board member identified unusually high overtime levels in October for the fire and police departments — "fire is up October 62%" and police overtime rising from about 37% to 52% in October — and asked for regular, brief departmental notes when line items show major overages so the board can track drivers of the excess. Staff explained engineering costs currently look high because the city bills Eversource and reimbursement timing makes monthly reports appear inflated before payments are received.
Finance staff (Olivia) also briefed the boards on a bookkeeping/transfer issue: the Board of Education did not complete a planned $1,500,000 transfer into a non‑lapsing educational reserve in the fiscal year originally intended. Auditors advised the BOE to move the transfer in fiscal 2026; that approach would cause a reported BOE over‑expenditure unless the city accounts for the transfer on the municipal side. Olivia said the city will seek to reverse and reclassify the entry so the BOE’s operating budget is not shown as overrun.
Board members asked for clearer quarterly reconciliations, reconciliation of prior‑period adjustments, and suggested more frequent joint meetings between the Board of Finance and Board of Education to ensure transparency around large transfers and backdated entries. The motions to accept the reports passed by voice vote.
