Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Coa Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Natick COA reviews $690,000 budget, asks staff for line-item clarification after 2019 comparison
Summary
Council on Aging Director Donna Tarutz reported a $690,000 annual COA budget (about 4% higher than last year). Board members asked why the 2026 budget appeared roughly $250,000 less than the 2019 budget; staff said grants and donations are excluded from the line-item budget and Christine Weithman agreed to work with town officials to investigate.
Council on Aging Director Donna Tarutz told the Town of Natick Council on Aging Board on Feb. 9 that the COA’s annual operating budget for 2026 is approximately $690,000, about 4% higher than the prior year. Board members pressed for clarity after noting the 2026 figure appeared roughly $250,000 lower than a comparable 2019 number.
Tarutz said the difference could reflect town reorganizations and cautioned that the 2019 and 2026 figures might not be directly comparable. She also confirmed that grants and donations are not included in the COA line-item operating budget. Board members requested more transparency about the budget’s line items so the board could understand program and transportation cost drivers.
Christine ("Chris") Weithman agreed to work with appropriate town officials to determine the cause of the apparent discrepancy and to provide a clearer, line-item breakdown for the board. No formal budget amendment or new funding request was proposed or approved at the meeting.
Board members noted that wellness programs and transportation are the largest line items in the budget. The board asked staff to return with further detail at a future meeting so members could compare like-for-like figures and better assess trends in programming costs.
