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Acton Select Board says operating budgets fell despite committee claims, urges fact checks
Summary
Select Board member Tom McGurty presented town departmental figures showing a 2.8% decrease in operating budgets and a 12% drop when capital is included, criticizing some Warrant & Finance Committee statements as inaccurate and urging the committee to consult the Select Board for clarification.
Tom McGurty, a member of the Acton Select Board, told the board on Jan. 21 that departmental operating budgets dropped from $3,811,000 last year to $3,700,000 this year — a 2.8% decrease — and that including capital outlays produced a roughly 12% reduction overall.
"This is a decrease of 2.8%," McGurty said, and he urged committee members to check the Select Board's published schedules and budget documents before repeating assertions to the public. He said some remarks at a recent Warrant & Finance Committee meeting mischaracterized town finances and were confusing residents.
Fellow Select Board member David Winchell Jr. said he, too, was puzzled by public statements that budgets were down yet spending had increased, and he thanked McGurty for his work on the budget. The board emphasized that some reductions came from sustained departmental savings and use of reserves rather than tax increases.
The debate also touched on a proposed 4% wage increase modeled in part on school raises. McGurty noted the Select Board line in the budget is about $11,000 and a 4% bump would amount to roughly $400 per year for the board as a whole. He said restoring a three‑member board would save about $22,000 but did not recommend that option.
The Select Board encouraged the Warrant & Finance Committee to attend Select Board meetings and ask questions directly when they see discrepancies. The committee later canceled a Jan. 27 meeting until the full warrant is compiled.
