Unidentified official warns preliminary budget will leave shortfalls for schools and town departments

An unidentified town official outlined a forthcoming preliminary municipal budget and warned that it will not meet all departmental requests, including for North Attleborough Public Schools, the official said.

The speaker told listeners the preliminary budget will show roughly $116,000,000 in revenue and urged departments to submit full, "unfiltered" requests but to be prepared to prioritize them if funding falls short. "Come in unfiltered ... but be ready to prioritize," the speaker said.

Why it matters: Departmental requests and capital needs typically exceed available revenue, forcing leaders to choose which services and equipment to fund. The speaker said department requests could outstrip available capacity by an estimated $5,000,000 and stressed the need for flexible budgeting when some revenue streams reimburse after expenses have been paid.

Details: The speaker said departmental requests may total "somewhere at $1.20 to $1.22," repeating the phrase as spoken; the unit for that figure was not specified in the remarks. The official also cited an example from the fire department, saying a new ambulance represents a substantial capital need and noting a price of about $750,000 for such equipment.

The speaker said the town will attempt to allocate as much as possible but cautioned, "You may not get what you want, but you might get what you need," quoting Mick Jagger. The remarks closed with a reminder that while the administration will "roll up our sleeves" to try to meet needs, the budget "will never be enough."

Next steps: The speaker said the preliminary budget is imminent; departments should expect follow-up as administrators and elected officials review priorities and make adjustments before a final budget is adopted.