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Waterford Board of Finance tentatively approves FY26/27 departmental budgets, including Recreation & Parks and Senior Services
Summary
The Board of Finance voted to tentatively approve multiple FY26/27 departmental budgets — including Recreation & Parks ($1,608,405), Senior Services ($528,682) and Youth & Family Services ($292,078) — after adopting a standing motion to act on bottom-line requests. Several approvals included supplemental data packets; one item (Ethics Commission) saw a 5-2 vote.
The Waterford Board of Finance on March 4, 2026, adopted a procedure to consider budgets by bottom-line totals and then voted to tentatively approve seven departmental budget requests for fiscal year 2026–27.
Chairman Glenn Patterson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and the board moved, by a standing motion (mover: Bill Sheehan; second: Joseph Filippetti), to waive motions by series and act on the bottom-line budget requests; the board recorded that procedural motion as passing 7-0. The standing motion assigned Michael Rocchetti to move and Joseph Filippetti to second motions for the individual budgets.
Using that procedure, the board approved the following FY26/27 requests: the Ethics Commission ($900) on a 5-2 vote; Conservation of Health ($160,368) on a 7-0 vote; Public Health & Nursing Services ($17,280) on a 7-0 vote; Miscellaneous Social Grants ($122,825) on a 7-0 vote; Youth and Family Services ($292,078) on a 6-1 vote; Senior Citizens Services ($528,682) on a 6-1 vote; and Recreation & Parks ($1,608,405) on a 7-0 vote. The minutes record Bill Sheehan as the sole "No" on the Youth and Family Services and Senior Citizens items; the Ethics Commission item lists Rocchetti and Tuneski as recorded "No" votes.
Several departments provided supplemental materials that were attached to the minutes. The Youth and Family Services and Senior Citizens budgets each included additional data packets and trend analyses submitted to the Board of Finance for review. Attachment lists in the minutes include program growth and enrollment charts for youth afterschool programming and senior services, and a record of public comment submitted in writing.
Public comment submitted in writing and read into the record criticized several departments for alleged wasteful spending and personnel practices; the board did not take further action on the written comment at the hearing. After the votes the board adjourned at 8:25 p.m.
Votes at a glance
- Ethics Commission: Motion by Michael Rocchetti; second Joseph Filippetti; Vote 5-2-0; Approved; Amount: $900. - Conservation of Health: Motion by Michael Rocchetti; second Joseph Filippetti; Vote 7-0-0; Approved; Amount: $160,368. - Public Health & Nursing Services: Motion by Michael Rocchetti; second Joseph Filippetti; Vote 7-0-0; Approved; Amount: $17,280. - Miscellaneous Social Grants: Motion by Michael Rocchetti; second Joseph Filippetti; Vote 7-0-0; Approved; Amount: $122,825. - Youth & Family Services: Motion by Michael Rocchetti; second Joseph Filippetti; Vote 6-1-0 (No: Bill Sheehan); Approved; Amount: $292,078. - Senior Citizens: Motion by Michael Rocchetti; second Joseph Filippetti; Vote 6-1-0 (No: Bill Sheehan); Approved; Amount: $528,682. - Recreation & Parks: Motion by Michael Rocchetti; second Joseph Filippetti; Vote 7-0-0; Approved; Amount: $1,608,405.
What happens next
The minutes note that the approvals were tentative bottom-line actions consistent with the board's adopted procedure for the session. Supplemental data packets and attachments are part of the official record and were filed with the minutes. Further review, public hearings or adjustments may occur in subsequent budget sessions or in coordination with the RTM and other authorizing bodies.
