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Select Board hears preliminary FY27 rev‑cap; capital requests push the budget into the red
Summary
Town staff presented a preliminary FY27 revenue‑capital plan showing roughly $2.8 million in general‑fund capital requests and a significant gap driven largely by school budget increases; board scheduled Jan. 24 follow‑up and asked staff to add library and IT to that review.
Town staff presented a preliminary recap of the FY27 revenue‑capital plan at the Jan. 6 Select Board meeting, warning that current estimates place the town "in the negative" and that capital requests are near $2.8 million. The presenter (Brian) said schools are a major cost driver: the K–8 recommended budget and the regional Algonquin request are still in process and likely to change the town’s outyear obligations.
The staff presentation described an exercise to compare fiscal‑year 2025 actual, non‑salary results against FY27 departmental requests; that comparison showed roughly $1,000,000 in increases across departments, driven by a mix of higher maintenance/grounds contracts, contracted services and other non‑salary items. Brian recommended further review with the capital committee and pledged to share OneDrive links with detailed departmental budgets and supporting explanations.
Board members pressed for clearer presentation of FY25 actuals next to FY27 requests; one member suggested adding a column showing the FY25 actuals percent versus FY27 requests. The board agreed to invite DPW, schools, fire, police and additionally the library and IT to a budget review session on Saturday, Jan. 24. Members discussed options to handle the gap, including using free cash or borrowing to fund further study or capital work, and suggested that an override or special town meeting could be necessary depending on future numbers.
No formal budget votes were taken at the meeting; the presentation was characterized as an early draft that will be refined in coming weeks.
