West Newbury approves FY2027 line-item budget, key capital purchases and a fee-setting change

At the conclusion of a line-by-line review and a series of holds, the town voted to accept the FY2027 line-item budget as proposed by the finance committee, as amended by voters (including restoring the library materials line to $87,000). The omnibus motion to appropriate the budget "as amended" passed unanimously.

Key capital and funding votes included: $15,000 for a heavy-duty equipment trailer for the DPW (to reduce rental costs and increase scheduling control); approval to create a PFAS special revenue fund with a transfer shown in the warrant (for settlement proceeds; the transcript references Section 197 of Chapter 77 of the Acts of 2023); $332,829.31 from free cash to cover an FY26 snow-and-ice deficit; $46,000 to replace tasers (police said current devices are beyond the manufacturer's end-of-life and out of warranty and the purchase will replace six devices and add a spare); and $71,000 to purchase a replacement police cruiser.

The meeting also authorized transfers into stabilization funds: $128,286 to the pension liability stabilization fund and $25,500 to the other post-employment benefits (OPEB) stabilization fund. The finance committee recommended all of these items.

On governance and administrative procedure, the assembly approved adopting M.G.L. Chapter 40, Section 22F, which authorizes town boards and officers to fix reasonable fees and charges for licenses, permits and services they issue. The select board and finance committee supported the change as an efficiency and transparency measure; opponents worried it deputized administrative bodies to set policy and urged annual town-meeting review. The meeting approved the M.G.L. §22F adoption by raise-card vote and then took no action on the alternative article that would have required annual town-meeting approval of the fee list.