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Millis finance panel backs 3.5% town and school budget increase, adds public-safety and social-service posts
Summary
Finance staff proposed a $48.2 million FY27 budget with a 3.5% increase for town services and schools; the plan folds several previously grant-funded positions into the operating budget, adds one police officer and a lieutenant promotion to address midnight staffing, and funds a municipal social worker previously paid from HCA funds.
The Millis Finance Committee on April 8 recommended a $48,200,583 budget proposal for fiscal 2027 that includes a 3.5% increase for both municipal services and the school system and targets several staffing changes to ease operational pressures.
Finance director Jody told the committee the recommended package separates non‑discretionary shared costs — health insurance, retirement and similar items — from the 3.5% increases for town and school programs. Jody said the town’s revenue outlook remained constrained by flat state aid and modest new‑growth estimates (about $350,000), leaving limited room for added services.
The recommended budget rolls a number of items previously paid from one‑time or outside sources into the operating budget. Those include a $35,000 municipal social‑work position that has supported schools and police and a partial restoration of library nights and weekend hours. Recreation’s four‑week inclusive camp will be funded at its current level. The budget also includes a lieutenant promotion and one new full‑time police officer intended to add a third officer to the midnight shift and improve overnight coverage.
Jody and committee members said the police additions were prioritized to address an immediate public‑safety staffing gap. "This additional full‑time officer will allow the addition of that third officer for the midnight shift," a committee member recapped after the chief’s request was discussed.
Several requests did not make the recommended package, including the IT director’s cloud‑services expansion for police, an additional heavy‑equipment operator for DPW and increased on‑call wages for firefighters. The DPW staffing and wage items remain under negotiation with unions and could be revisited at a fall meeting, Jody said.
The committee and staff also highlighted continuing structural pressures: a residential‑heavy tax base (about 92.85% residential), modest new growth relative to the operating budget and expected inflation pressures. To smooth certain large charges, the town will continue to apply targeted one‑time funds: for example, staff proposed using accumulated settlement proceeds to help cover PFAS remediation costs and using reserve balances to temporarily offset Tri‑County school debt assessments over the next two to three years.
The Select Board was scheduled to review the warrant and the budget proposal on Monday; the Finance Committee will continue work on articles and voter materials before the May town meeting.
