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Advisory committee presses for clearer trade‑off data as staff launches FY26 budget process; $9K compensation study proposed
Summary
Committee members urged staff to provide department line‑item ledgers and options showing what a 1% or 5% reduction would mean; staff proposed a $9,000 compensation study for nonunion supervisory positions to align pay scales with market comparators.
At the Sept. 30 meeting, Westborough town staff said they had begun internal kickoffs for the FY26 budget and will ask department heads for expense ledgers and line‑item explanations to improve transparency in the budget book. Committee members urged staff to include ‘what if’ scenarios — for example the service or personnel implications of 1% or 5% reductions — so voters can meaningfully consider tradeoffs.
Committee members discussed public engagement approaches to surface community priorities. Some members warned that general public hearings often draw small, nonrepresentative samples and suggested targeted materials or a clearer menu of options that show specific service‑level consequences. Others advocated broader engagement but counseled that committee and department expertise is necessary to shape feasible options for public input.
Staff also asked the committee to consider adding a $9,000 compensation study for nonunion positions (about 42 supervisory or department‑head roles) to the warrant; the study would reexamine salary schedules to ensure competitiveness and minimize ad‑hoc adjustments. Staff said the study would be funded from available funds.
Members agreed the committee should continue outreach, request department‑level ledgers and incorporate service‑impact scenarios into FY26 planning.
