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Town administrator presents near-final FY27 budget as select board weighs deficit options
Summary
The Select Board reviewed a draft FY27 budget that puts total appropriations at about $28.82 million and leaves the town with a small free-cash cushion while showing a structural deficit that will likely require an override in the next one to two years.
The West Townsend Select Board on April 7 heard a near-final presentation of the town's proposed fiscal year 2027 budget from the town administrator, who said the omnibus total currently stands at about $28.82 million.
Town Administrator said the town is running "in that ominous bucket of just a few towns in the Commonwealth" that do not offer retiree health benefits, and presented multiple balancing options, including using certified free cash for snow-and-ice deficits and a proposal to draw on sale-of-property proceeds for limited capital needs. He told the board that, under current assumptions, the town would have roughly $29,000 in unrestricted free cash after proposed allocations but warned that'"this is a budget that has probably 500,000 deficit spending in it" over time if structural changes are not made.
The presentation summarized major cost drivers: municipal operating expenses, enterprise fund transfers for water and solid waste, and obligations such as debt service, retirement, and potential union settlements. The town administrator said he prepared an alternate scenario that shows deeper cuts if a planned override fails, and he will bring a "budget two" to the board showing the lower-revenue outcome.
Board members discussed options to trim costs, including conservative estimates for snow-and-ice spending and opportunities for energy savings. One member noted the town could defer noncritical capital or draw on proceeds from recent or planned property sales for one-time expenses; members emphasized the difference between one-time uses of sale proceeds and ongoing operating costs.
The administrator said some legal and personnel-related items in the budget remain unsettled because three union contracts are currently in negotiation and legal counsel reserves may be required depending on outcomes. He also noted that certain line items (elections, grant administration, public-safety equipment) were adjusted in response to recent department head requests.
The board did not take a final vote on the budget and requested updated figures for the next meeting (April 21), asking the administrator to flag any remaining changes before the warrant is finalized.
