The Finance Committee voted Monday night to recommend passage of Article 29 at Town Meeting, which authorizes the Select Board to place a three-year, three-tier ($9 million, $12 million and $15 million) override on the June 9 ballot. The FinCom recommended appropriating up to $4.3 million of the override for fiscal 2027, which is the amount laid out in Tier 3.
The FinCom declined to endorse a specific tier, although Chair Alec Goolsby shared his support for Tier One at minimum.
“I’m not afraid to say it, I’m in huge support of Tier One,” Goolsby said. “I certainly think there’s valid requests in tiers two and three. But I’m not ready to endorse all of those right now. I am certainly ready to endorse the need for a Tier One, and I think taxpayers deserve the right to choose — because they’ve asked us many, many times — if they want Tier One, Tier Two and Tier Three. “
***Be sure to check out the Current’s 2026 Town Meeting Guide which includes a tax impact calculator and a shorter, printable version of the guide you can bring along to the MHS field house next Monday. ***)
The town is proposing the tiered override to address a structural deficit, including a $7.7 million budget gap for fiscal 2027.
The proposed balanced budget ($123 million) includes dozens of staff layoffs among town and school employees, as well as deep service cuts.
Goolsby said Tier One will partially restore some of the cuts — but not all.
“I want to make sure that everybody understands how much has already been cut, we’re not bringing it all back, and how it’s just going to escalate year after year after year. This is a long-term plan that’s been put together that addresses this, that people have been asking for.”
The Finance Committee also voted to recommend a second override for $2,186,516, to replace a new trash collection fee.
Also Monday night, Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer and Finance Director Aleesha Benjamin answered questions about the override before a crowd of about 50 people at the Jacobi Community Center. There was significant confusion about the override, how it will be presented at Town Meeting and, if approved there, at the June ballot box.
Here is the town’s 15-slide presentation outlining the budget drivers, cuts and override proposals.
What each tier includes
The base level, known as “partial restore,” would restore a range of cuts made to balance the current budget, including:
— Restoring a total of 15 positions cut in the fiscal 2027 balanced budget, including the police school resource officer
— Allowing the library to apply for an accreditation waiver by restoring at least four full-time positions
— Restoring positions in the Public Works, Recreation and Parks, the Council on Aging, Public Buildings and Finance departments
— Restoring part of the Community Development Department and a laborer in the Cemetery Department
— Restoring contributions to the town’s long-term financial health, including stabilization funding
Tier Two, at $12 million, would add staffing and operational investments, including seven positions: two firefighters, a police officer, an IT director, a budget analyst, a part-time social worker and a GIS specialist. It also includes $450,000 for building and infrastructure maintenance.
Tier Three, the $15 million option, includes additional staffing and long-term investments, including more public safety personnel, a stormwater foreman, a grant writer, $60,000 annually for mental health services and $1 million in recurring capital funding.
Cost to taxpayers
For the median home valued at $998,600, the estimated tax impact would be:
— Tier one ($9 million): $130 in year one, about $919 total over three years
— Tier two ($12 million): $180 in year one, about $1,230 total over three years
— Tier three ($15 million): $430 in year one, about $1,530 total over three years
Officials said the lower first-year impact reflects the fact that schools are not requesting additional funding in that first year.
More questions?
Residents can learn more at two Q&A sessions with Select Board and School Committee members at Dunkin’ in Village Plaza. Those sessions are set for Wednesday, April 29, 3-4 p.m., and Thursday, April 30, 9-11 a.m.
