Board of Finance trims town, reduces school request and taps $100,000 in reserves ahead of referendums

The Board of Finance on May 6 approved modest cuts to the town budget, voted a $50,000 reduction to the Andover Elementary School (AES) budget request and agreed to use $100,000 from unassigned fund balance to lower the proposed tax increase ahead of referendums on May 26.

The meeting opened with a public-comment period in which dozens of residents urged both restraint on cuts and support for the school system. "This current budget that was presented that failed at referendum was like the largest increase we've had in an extremely long time," said Diane Chet during public comment, urging more modest school and town increases. Several commenters emphasized the potential impacts on students protected by state disability laws and on seniors.

Why it matters: The board started with a presentation of a roughly 6.7% tax-rate increase embedded in the budgets submitted to voters. Members said a mix of one-shot state aid, modest cuts and a limited draw from fund balance offered the best chance of producing a more passable package without undermining core services. Treasurer Lisa and other staff worked through spreadsheet changes and formulas during the meeting to reflect a supplemental state education aid payment of $97,943.

How the board acted: The board made a series of line-item reductions during a three-hour discussion. Notable actions included reducing an admin-assistant request from $30,000 to $25,000 and trimming the treasurer‑clerk wage line by $5,000. The board also approved smaller program cuts — $5,000 from senior programming and $1,400 from recreation programs — and rejected a motion to cut the community-garden line.

School budget debate: The largest contested vote was a $50,000 reduction to the AES request. Board member Bill moved the reduction after an extended exchange with school leadership and board members about enrollment trends, preschool expansion and grant funding. AES representatives explained that many preschool costs are grant‑funded and that the district must provide mandated special‑education services regardless of preschool configuration. Superintendent Bruno and preschool lead Kate emphasized that grants offset a substantial share of preschool costs and that mandated services for young children could be more costly to the municipality if the district eliminated those programs.

Vote counts and next steps: The $50,000 cut to AES carried on a narrow 4–3 vote. The board then voted 4–3 to apply $100,000 from the town’s unassigned fund balance as a one-time offset to reduce the tax impact for voters. The board noted that the RAM (regional) board is expected to take action the following week and that its decision could change the mill-rate calculation used for the referendums. Both budgets will go to referendum May 26 under the town’s charter.

What board members and officials said: Shannon, a resident commenter, suggested using fund balance and available reserves: "I suggest at least $100,000 from the town's very hearty fund balance," she said during public comment. AES leadership pushed back on any suggestion that preschool expansion automatically drove the increase and urged that grant funding and legally mandated special‑education services be considered in any analysis.

What’s next: The Board of Finance asked staff to finalize the tax-rate worksheet once RAM and other intergovernmental figures are known, circulate the updated budget spreadsheets and prepare materials for the May 26 referendums. The board emphasized the cuts made were modest and framed the $100,000 draw from reserves as a temporary measure to reduce the immediate tax increase rather than as ongoing revenue.

The board adjourned at the end of the meeting and will reconvene as needed to finalize materials prior to the referendums.