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Belmont midyear budget shows departments under target but flags overtime; board approves fuel and electric contracts
Summary
At a midyear review, town staff reported spending about 46% of operating budgets to date against a July target of 58%, leaving the town roughly 12 percentage points under target but with overtime and rising fuel costs as key risks. The board approved renewal contracts for heating fuel and electricity and accepted auction proceeds to buy a DPW trailer.
Staff member (S1) presented a midyear budget report showing the town has spent about 46% of its operating budget year-to-date compared with a July target of about 58%, leaving the town roughly 12 percentage points under target.
"Today, we have spent 46% of our budget. Our target for July is 58, so we're 12% under," the staff member said, and offered to provide monthly updates or a more detailed breakdown at future meetings.
The presentation flagged overtime as the main near-term concern, especially in departments that must maintain staffing levels for emergency services. "Overtime for one department is spent, and we're only at month six," the staff member said, noting unfilled positions, sick leave and collective bargaining provisions as drivers of higher overtime expense.
Selectmen discussed the operational effects. Chair (S4) noted the trade-offs of shifting line items to absorb overtime and asked staff to bring options at the next budget meeting. Board members pressed for continued monthly reporting and for department-level strategies to reduce excess overtime.
Rising energy costs were another budget pressure. The staff member reported recent increases in heating-oil and propane prices and recommended locking in a contract with Irving Energy to stabilize costs for the coming year. After discussion, the board authorized the Irving Energy contract by voice vote.
The board also approved a multi-year electricity supply contract with Constellation to lock rates and reduce near-term volatility in supply costs. The staff member described the distributor (Eversource) charges as a major driver of high utility bills.
Separately, the board accepted $5,150 in proceeds from a municipal auction of decommissioned DPW equipment and approved using $2,725 of that sum to buy a small utility trailer for DPW needs; the remainder will go to the general fund.
The meeting balanced acknowledgement that overall spending remains below midyear targets with repeated cautions that overtime, fuel and utility inflation and pending project costs (see other agenda items) could push the town toward additional outlays in the second half of the fiscal year.
The board asked staff to return with more detailed, month-by-month tracking and to flag any departments that approach or exceed budgeted line items.
