Scituate council approves draft FY 2026–27 budget for presentation to voters; asks counsel and treasurer to finalize figures

The Scituate Town Council voted to approve the draft fiscal year 2026–27 budget for presentation to qualified voters at the Town Financial Meeting on June 2, 2026.

Council members moved and seconded the measure and recorded the approval by voice vote with no opposition noted. The vote sends the budget recommended by the budget committee to the ballot of qualified voters at the June 2 financial meeting.

At the same meeting the council approved a resolution authorizing a tax participation note to be placed before voters and approved a set of related resolutions about use of budget line items and fund balance for presentation at the financial meeting. A council member said the draft resolutions need updates to dates and numerical figures before posting.

According to bond counsel Dave Ferrara, the resolutions are correct in form and substance provided the account numbers are confirmed: “provided the account number is correct,” Ferrara said, the draft will achieve its intended purpose. The council authorized the treasurer and bond counsel to make necessary edits to dates and figures and requested that the finalized documents be circulated to council members prior to the Town Financial Meeting.

Why it matters: the Town Financial Meeting, scheduled for June 2, 2026, is the forum in which Scituate voters will consider the proposed budget, the tax participation note and the suggested line-item and fund-balance resolutions. Council direction to allow the treasurer and bond counsel to finalize numeric and date changes is procedural but ensures documents presented to voters match audited/accounting records.

Votes at a glance: • Item A — Adopt draft FY 2026–27 budget for presentation to qualified voters at Town Financial Meeting (June 2, 2026): approved by voice vote. • Item B — Resolution authorizing tax participation note to be approved at Town Financial Meeting: approved by voice vote. • Item C — Resolutions regarding budget line items and fund balance (to be updated by treasurer and bond counsel before FTM): approved by voice vote; council authorized treasurer and bond counsel to make necessary edits and to circulate final documents prior to the FTM.

Next steps: The treasurer and bond counsel will update dates and figures in the resolution drafts and circulate the finalized documents to council members; the items will appear on the Town Financial Meeting docket on June 2, 2026.