Stow approves $39.17 million FY2027 operating budget after multi-agency presentations

Town meeting approved the town administrator'9s recommended FY2027 operating budget after presentations from the finance committee and both member school districts, finishing with a 126' 18 recorded vote.

Moderator Jim Salvi opened the discussion and turned to the finance committee, whose chair, Brian Patudo, summarized the committee'9s review and the town'9s fiscal picture. "We are recommending favorable action on most of the articles in the warrant today," Patudo told voters, citing estimated FY27 revenues of about $44.9 million and planned expenditures of roughly $43.35 million. Patudo identified the town'9s main budget drivers as regional school assessments, municipal employee salaries, union contract updates and rising health-insurance costs; he said the town is targeting increased capital stabilization and a healthy debt plan.

Superintendent Kirk Downing and Assistant Superintendent Ross McCarron presented the Nashoba Regional School District'9s portion of the assessment, explaining that the district'9s five-year rolling average enrollment affects member-town assessments; McCarron said the district'9s FY27 assessment for Stow reflected a 3.5% overall increase driven by enrollment calculations and that the district had taken steps to reduce special-education transportation costs.

Minute Man Regional representatives described a 2.99% budget increase driven by bargaining outcomes and health-insurance pressures; Superintendent Heidi Driscoll said the district'9s assessments remain tied to enrollment trends.

Select Board Chair Megan Burch McMichael also addressed one line item under Article 4: the town administrator'9s salary. She said the board had used an independent Massachusetts Municipal Association market survey in negotiations and moved to bring the administrator'9s salary closer to the regional average to help with retention.

Residents raised held-line questions about specific line items, contract timing and the overall rate of increase. Tom Ryan and others pressed for long-term attention to rising levy and debt costs; finance and administration staff explained timing and software issues that affected some departmental requests (for example, finalized union contract amounts that were not in department-requested numbers when the budget portal closed).

After limited debate on held items, the meeting used electronic clickers for the final main-motion vote under Article 4. Voting was open for 15 seconds; the moderator announced that the main motion passed by a vote of 126 to 18.

Next steps: the FY2027 budget was approved on the floor and will be implemented for the next fiscal year; the town continues to monitor contractual and insurance cost pressures and to pursue capital and debt-planning strategies outlined by FinCom.