Budget Summits — June 10, 2026

Chair Jill Hay outlined the need to review policies, identify fiscal headwinds (like compensation and capital costs), and agree on revenue allocation models. The goal is to move from identifying challenges to developing a productive FY28 budget.

The board agreed to use this session to finalize the list of policy topics and challenges that require deep-dive analysis in future meetings.

The board will organize into working groups over the summer to address specific topics.

Members discussed the historical split (currently 26/74) and whether to revise it. There was significant debate regarding 'indirect costs' or shared expenses between the school and municipal sides, as well as potential for regionalization of services.

The board agreed that revenue allocation remains a topic for future discussion and noted the need to explore shared services to maximize efficiency.

Potential working groups may look at shared services or request specific data on indirect costs.

Alan Levine suggested reviewing how the town chooses capitalization rates for property assessment to ensure transparency. Carolyn Koznoff explained that rates are reviewed by the Department of Revenue (DOR) and must be applied consistently across the town.

The Chair suggested providing public education on how assessments and capitalization rates work to avoid the process being a 'black box.'

Staff may prepare educational materials for the community regarding the assessment process.

There was a debate on whether new growth exceeding current projections should be dedicated to the existing high school capital stabilization fund or used for other purposes. Members emphasized the importance of honoring the promise made to taxpayers during the debt exclusion vote.

The group reached a consensus that the current $6.5 million annual commitment to the fund must be maintained.

Future discussions will determine the policy for revenue that exceeds current modeling projections.

Members discussed the projected 2030 full-funding date for the pension fund. There were questions about how to handle the surplus once 100% is reached and whether the funding schedule could be adjusted to provide more relief to the operating budget.

It was noted that while the schedule can be adjusted after full funding, current laws prevent decreasing contributions until that goal is met.

The Appropriation Committee (AC) may be tasked with proposing a plan for post-full-funding fund deployment.

The board debated the utility of video presentations versus in-person data dumps. Key arguments included the need for more lead time on materials (ideally by the preceding Friday for Wednesday meetings), the desire for 'flipped classroom' models where data is reviewed in advance, and the need to shift from mere information reporting to policy-oriented discussion.

There was a general consensus that summits must move away from long, one-way presentations toward interactive discussions driven by specific guiding questions and pre-distributed data.

The chairs of the respective committees will meet to develop an executable process for the upcoming year.

Participants discussed the high likelihood of an eventual tax override due to inflation and rising costs. Some argued that the goal should be to identify enough cost-saving measures and revenue sources so that if an override becomes necessary, the town can prove to voters that every other option was exhausted.

The discussion highlighted that current fiscal trends are heading toward an override, making proactive budget management critical.

Members noted a lack of liaison roles between the Select Board and School Committee, which contributed to friction at the last Town Meeting. There were calls for the school budget to undergo a review process more similar to the municipal 'white book' process to ensure all members understand the 'why' behind the numbers.

The group agreed on the necessity of increased 'crossover' and better communication between municipal and school district employees and leadership.

Inclusion of Select Board and School Committee chairs in initial budget planning sessions starting in July.

Speaker S59 and S60 emphasized that while volunteer committees are important, professional town staff hold the budgetary expertise. S60 suggested that there appears to be a lack of close coordination between different financial staff members and proposed addressing this offline between leadership.

The board agreed that coordination is necessary to ensure everyone is moving in the right direction.

To kickstart collaboration, the chairs of the Select Board and the School Committee will be included in the collaborative work between the finance staff.

Lily Yan (S63) noted that the 'White Book' is difficult to read in its entirety and suggested using AI to generate summaries of important information. She clarified that the intent is not to replace jobs but to improve efficiency for those unable to attend meetings.

Speaker S61 supported the idea, noting that a similar summary model had already been used for a previous meeting.