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Westborough finance director pitches ‘level‑services’ FY27 budget, flags insurance and personnel costs
Summary
Finance Director John Steinberg presented the Town of Westborough’s recommended FY27 budget, describing a ‘level‑service’ plan that would raise the town budget by roughly $924,149 and leave the average single‑family tax bill slightly higher while warning that state aid, union settlements and health‑insurance renewals could shift final outcomes.
John Steinberg, the town’s finance director, presented the Town of Westborough’s recommended budget for fiscal 2027 at the joint budget summit on Feb. 10. Steinberg said the manager’s plan is a ‘level‑service’ proposal intended to preserve current services while limiting taxpayer impact. He told officials the recommended budget shows a net town increase of about $924,149 and said that in draft estimates that translated to a single‑family tax‑bill increase measured in the low hundreds of dollars.
Steinberg said the biggest single town budget drivers are salary and wage growth, a materially higher health‑insurance renewal (which he estimated could add the equivalent of about $282 on the average tax bill), and the reallocation of landfill and fleet costs into the Department of Public Works. He also said a WRTA agreement intended to reduce senior‑center transportation costs will shift some expenditure lines off the town’s operating budget.
Why it matters: Steinberg told officials there is limited near‑term flexibility because several large items are still estimates — notably union contracts for patrol and fire, the final state Cherry Sheet aid figures and some vocational‑school assessments. ‘‘We budget conservatively,’’ he said, adding that March town‑meeting and the October tax‑rate setting process will solidify the numbers.
How the plan would be paid for: The presentation showed the town relying in part on one‑time ‘free cash’ to smooth the tax impact; Steinberg said the town is planning to use about $450,000 of free cash this year to reduce the tax rate while continuing to fund a capital stabilization reserve. He repeated that the town’s long‑term capital plan and a 15‑year debt forecast are designed to protect the municipality’s credit rating.
Revenue caveats and next steps: Steinberg warned that state aid remains fluid until the Cherry Sheets are finalized, and that ambulance receipts and motor‑vehicle excise remain uncertain until later in the fiscal year. He closed by urging officials to continue to monitor insurance renewals, union negotiations and pending state actions that could change the bottom line. The town will finalize the budget for March town meeting and submit required levy and aid estimates to the Department of Revenue in the usual calendar ahead of the October tax‑rate certification.
What’s next: The Select Board and Advisory Finance Committee will review proposed warrant articles, then bring the manager’s budget to March town meeting for a formal vote. Steinberg said he will provide updated figures if the governor’s budget or subsequent Cherry‑Sheet adjustments change the estimates.
