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Danvers Select Board advances FY2026 draft budget goals; seeks to hold fees and prioritize public safety and schools
Summary
Select Board reviewed draft FY2026 goals: maintain current staffing and service levels while transitioning to a new town manager, ensure funding for public safety/emergency services to be fully staffed, and provide resources for Danvers Public Schools (including special education); board refined language and set next steps for review with school and library trustees.
Town Manager Rodney presented draft FY2026 budget goals at the Dec. 17 Select Board meeting and said the staff recommendation is to avoid significant new position proposals until a new town manager can weigh in. The three draft priorities were: 1) maintain current staffing and service levels while the town transitions to a new town manager (and hold fees at current levels for the coming budget), 2) ensure public safety and emergency services have appropriate funding to be fully staffed, and 3) provide Danvers Public Schools with resources for priorities such as special education.
Board members debated clarifying language, including whether to broaden goal (2) to explicitly include fire and emergency services, and expressed interest in holding certain management-level hiring decisions until a new town manager can set direction. The manager said the budget must be submitted by March 1 and that the board would solicit additional input from the School Committee and Library Board of Trustees before finalizing goals. Members also discussed the idea of a centralized grants position or consultant to pursue outside funding.
The board approved consensus language for the three draft goals as revised in discussion and directed staff to circulate the revised draft to other municipal boards for feedback ahead of the budget season.
