Select Board outlines budget and capital priorities as town faces future deficits

The Select Board chair presented a preview of the operating and capital budgets and highlighted near‑term capital priorities and funding pressures.

Nisgalli said the proposed operating budget the board is considering is approximately $183,800,000, which he described as about a 5.2% increase over last year; he said the town expects to balance the current proposal without a Proposition 2½ override but warned of projected annual deficits in coming years that could necessitate an override. He noted department heads had requested more than $2 million in additional staff funding that the board did not include in the balanced budget.

Looking ahead, the chair said the capital improvement plan anticipates roughly $800 million in capital needs over the next decade. Major capital items mentioned include the new police station and a potential renovation of the Lawrence School, which Nisgalli said may depend on state funding. The chair also said the board approved $1.2 million for targeted nourishment work at Surf Drive as part of coastal‑resilience work and said the town is pursuing state agreement on a potential outfall to Nantucket Sound to discharge tertiary wastewater as part of broader pond and estuary protection.

During public questions the chair identified the largest budget drivers as health insurance and employee benefits, plus out‑of‑district student transportation costs for the schools. He said the select board is monitoring those trends closely and that a multi‑year strategy will be needed to manage future budget pressure.