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Resident proposes 'bottom‑up' budget anchored to tax levy to constrain increases
Summary
Wilford Savoy told the Advisory Finance Committee that starting budget planning with an agreed tax levy and building revenue estimates from there would make the process more realistic and curb post‑presentation resistance to cuts.
Wilford Savoy, a Westborough resident, presented an alternative budgeting approach that would begin by setting a tax levy or maximum acceptable tax increase and then build budget proposals from that cap rather than starting from departmental spending requests. "The proposed change would be to start from the tax levy in establishing what would be considered a fair increase that taxpayers can afford," Savoy said, summarizing a diagram he shared with the committee.
Savoy argued the current process discourages substantive changes once a budget proposal reaches town meeting and can leave residents struggling with tax increases. He suggested the committee explore bottom‑up models as part of broader goal setting and commented that median household income data indicate the town may be "living beyond its means." Committee members discussed feasibility, timing, and whether such a model should be advisory or require broader town governance changes.
What happens next: Members took Savoy’s proposal as a discussion item linked to the committee’s goal‑setting for the coming budget season and suggested further work in committee meetings to consider practicality and messaging to departments and voters.
