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Off-agenda budget work session covering high-significance fiscal matters without public notice

On 8/11, Amherst's Board of Selectmen spent most of their meeting on FY27 budget discussions covering millions in new spending — none of it was on the public agenda. Residents had no notice and no chance to show up.

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Budget exceeding stated tax target with no corrective action taken

Amherst's FY27 budget is already at a preliminary 5% increase. The Town Administrator warned on 8/11 that new initiatives will push it even further past the board's own 3% target. No items were cut. No firm commitment was made.

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Conservation bond tax impact raised by board member, discussed without public notice

At the 8/11 meeting, Amherst discussed a potential $5–10M open space bond with NO offsetting debt expiring. One board member flagged it would raise property taxes by a 'fairly substantial amount.' This was not on the public agenda.

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Chemical lake treatment financial and environmental risk with unresolved permit status

Amherst's board discussed whether to put town money toward a ~$250K chemical lake treatment on 8/11 — a project with a previously denied permit application. One member warned of long-term environmental liability. No decision yet, but it's in the budget pipeline.

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🧵 Amherst Board of Selectmen met on 8/11. Most of the meeting was a budget work session covering millions in potential new spending — FY27 departments, a possible $5–10M bond, and a $250K lake treatment project. None of it was on the public agenda. Thread:

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The published agenda listed routine items. What actually happened: detailed FY27 budget reviews for Community Development, Recreation, Police, and Public Works — plus a conservation bond discussion and a lake treatment debate. Residents had zero notice to attend or comment.

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The preliminary FY27 budget sits at $18.74M — a 5% increase over FY26. The board has a stated 3% growth target. The Town Administrator explicitly warned on 8/11 that proposed initiatives will push it 'well above' that target. No requests were cut.

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Conservation Commission floated a NEW $5–10M open space bond. Unlike the prior $6M bond, there's no offsetting debt expiring. Board member: this will raise taxes by a 'fairly substantial amount.' The Commission was asked for financial projections before proceeding.

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The board also discussed town funding for a ~$250K chemical lake treatment project run by a private lake association — one whose permit application was previously DENIED. One board member raised long-term health/environmental liability. No town funds committed yet.

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The board deferred the lake decision, directing the Town Admin to first meet with the lake association. That's the right call — but the question of whether public money should back a project with an unresolved permit and disputed science deserves a public conversation, not a back-channel one.

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Bottom line: Amherst residents had no notice that their Aug. 11 board meeting would touch a preliminary budget with a 5% increase, a potential $10M bond, and a controversial chemical treatment project. That's information the public is entitled to know is on the table. /end

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Longer-form draft.

AMHERST ACCOUNTABILITY | Board of Selectmen Meeting — August 11, 2025

Most of Monday's Board of Selectmen meeting was consumed by a detailed FY27 budget work session — covering department spending requests, capital reserve funds, a potential multi-million dollar conservation bond, and a controversial lake treatment project. None of these topics appeared on the published public agenda. Residents who rely on the agenda to decide whether to attend had no way of knowing any of this would be discussed.

Here's what was on the table: The preliminary FY27 town budget stands at $18.74 million — a 5% increase over FY26. The board has a stated goal of holding budget growth to 3%. The Town Administrator warned directly that proposed new initiatives and capital reserve requests will push the budget "well above" that 3% target. No requests were cut during the session, and no firm commitment was made to hold the line.

Also discussed: a Conservation Commission proposal for a new $5–10 million open space bond. Unlike the previous $6 million bond — which was offset by expiring road bond debt — this one would come with no such relief. One board member flagged it plainly: a new bond at this scale, with no debt offset, means a "fairly substantial" property tax increase for Amherst residents. The Commission was asked to develop financial impact projections before the board goes further.

Separately, the board debated whether to commit town funds to a roughly $250,000 chemical (alum) lake treatment project currently being pursued by a private lake association — a project whose permit application was previously denied and which still requires additional studies. One board member raised concerns about long-term environmental and public health liability. The board wisely deferred any financial commitment and directed the Town Administrator to gather more information first. But the fact that a potential $250,000 public expenditure on a project with unresolved permits is being discussed without public notice is itself a concern worth raising.

Residents deserve the chance to show up when decisions of this magnitude are being shaped. Strategic budget work sessions that cover millions in potential commitments should be publicly noticed — clearly and in advance.