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Finance Committee flags police, fire and snow expenses; debates unemployment allocation
Summary
Reviewing third-quarter reports, the Finance Committee identified shortfalls for police, fire and DPW snow-and-ice costs, discussed the town's self-insured unemployment account and whether to allocate those costs to departments, and raised concerns about special education transportation contract costs.
At its May 18 meeting the Town of Sharon Finance Committee reviewed third-quarter expense reports and highlighted several areas of concern, including projected shortfalls in the police and fire department budgets and higher-than-anticipated Department of Public Works snow-and-ice expenses.
Town Administrator Fred Turkington told the Committee that overall expenses were "generally tracking as expected" but noted previously-flagged areas that required continued monitoring, including snow and ice, Fire Department/EMS overtime, and other accounts. Committee members pressed for clarification on DPW street-lighting costs and the timing differences that affect health insurance accounting.
The Committee discussed the town's self-insured unemployment account and said unemployment costs have exceeded budgeted amounts in recent years. Members identified contributing factors including reductions in force involving higher-salaried employees and other benefit-qualifying events. The Committee debated whether unemployment costs should remain a Town-wide expense or be allocated directly to the departments that generate claims; no decision was made and members agreed this could be pursued in the budget process or a tri-board discussion.
On school finances, members acknowledged receipt of the School Department's quarterly report and raised questions about fee collection practices for student activity and Chromebook fees. They also discussed special-education transportation, noting the significant cost differences between contracted transport and providing service in-house and stressing the need for better data on the number of vans and driver availability before making policy changes.
The Committee reviewed anticipated Reserve Fund transfer requests likely to arise at year-end — chiefly snow and ice, Fire Department ambulance callback/overtime, and Norfolk Agricultural School tuition — and noted that DPW had absorbed portions of increased costs within its budget.
The Committee did not take formal action on budget reallocations at the meeting but recorded these topics for follow-up in the FY27 budget cycle.
