Advisory committee presses town staff for answers on unspent special-article funds, gift accounts and ARPA balances

At the committee’s mid-year budget review, members flagged a series of unresolved budget questions and asked the town administrator and town accountant to evaluate special-article and gift-account balances and report back.

A reviewer said recreation services were already at roughly 107% of their budget midyear and asked for explanations of line-item variances across departments. Committee members pointed to multiple special-article line items from 2019–2024 that remain on the books but show little or no activity, including a DPW asset-management allocation and a town-hall electrical-panel line where the ledger shows inconsistent amounts.

Members also noted a $400,000 balance labeled as the sale-of-real-estate fund for the former Baldwinville Elementary and discussed whether such proceeds should be transferred into interest-bearing accounts or returned to the general fund. One member calculated that the town’s separate donation and gift ‘buckets’ add up to more than $2 million and urged a review of how those funds are managed and whether they are being put to use.

On ARPA-funded police-support and equipment, members said about $14,002 remained to be closed out and stressed that ARPA money has restricted allowable uses and timing restrictions that could require repayment if not encumbered appropriately.

Committee members voted to have Chairwoman Jacqueline Macomber request that the town administrator and town accountant evaluate all special-article and gift funds and produce a report for the committee’s February meeting. No formal reallocations or transfers were approved at the meeting.