Category Archives: Financial

Warrant Committee on Budget/Override

Posted on January 14, 2026 | Comments Off on Warrant Committee on Budget/Override

From Stephen Callahan, Chair of the Warrant Committee, this afternoon –

Discussion of Operating Budget Override Article Warrant Committee January 13, 2026 Discussion of Operating Budget Override Article Warrant Committee January 13, 2026 Updates Budget A (Prop 2 ½ budget): New department guidance recommends 1.3% growth rate and asks departments to idenfify cuts and savings to achieve a balanced budget. The Select Board has voted for a placeholder for an operating budget override on the 2026 Town Warrant. The Governor’s budget preview is expected on January 23rd, after which updated guidance will be provided. Many municipalities, as reported in a recent Boston Globe article, are struggling with their budgets this year. Why is there an Article to Override the Levy Limit? Proposition 2 ½ : The Structural Math • Major Cost Drivers: +4 – 18% per year Health Insurance Special Education Transportation Utilities Contractual Wages Result: A predictable multiple year structural gap Preference for residents to be provided with a choice to restore some costs and service cuts while weighing the related tax impact.Why Now? Inflationary pressures remain high, especially in health insurance. Growth in state aid is modest and not sufficient to cover increased costs and Federal relief funds have been exhausted. Department level service budgets are estimating annual increases of 3% -5% for FY 2027. Proactive planning is necessary to avoid future negative “cliff” decisions. Voter approved override can bridge the gap, maintaining service levels and preventing cuts. Scenario Modeling of Department Budgets Estimate of FY 2027 Baseline Average Single Family Tax Bill Increase of $401 Department Budget Growth Scenarios of: +2.5% +3.0% +3.5% Override to the Levy Limit: Impact to Average Single Family Tax Bill Budget Options Budget A ( Prop 2 ½ budget): • Warrant Committee provided department budget growth guidance of 1.3% with request to identify prioritized cost and service cuts. Budget B (Override budget): • When deciding which cuts to restore, departments are looking for WC guidance and input. • What is a reasonable department growth rate? What is a reasonable single family tax increase that is sustainable and has the best possibility of passage at Town Meeting? Scenario Modeling of Department Budgets Estimate of FY 2027 Baseline Average Single Family Tax Bill Increase of $401 Department Budget Growth Scenarios of: +2.5% +3.0% +3.5% Override to the Levy Limit: Impact to Average Single Family Tax Bill Department Budget Growth of 2.5% FY 2026 FY 2027 Forecast Prop 2 /12 $ Change FY 26 to FY 27 % Change FY 26 to FY 27 FY 2027 Forecast $ Change FY 26 to FY 27 % Change FY 26 to FY 27 Override Amount Remaining Revenue Available for Departments $ 59,082,913 $ 5 9,829,657 $ 746,744 1.3% $ 60,559,986 $ 1,477,073 2.5% $ 730,329 School Department $ 44,598,730 $ 4 5,158,788 $ 560,058 1.26% $ 45,706,535 $ 1,107,805 2.48% Town Departments $ 14,484,183 $ 1 4,670,869 $ 186,686 1.29% $ 14,853,451 $ 369,268 2.55% Total $ 59,082,913 $ 5 9,829,657 $ 746,744 1.3% $ 60,559,986 $ 1,477,073 2.5% Impact to Average Single Family Tax Bill FY 2027 Assumed Department Growth 2.5% 3.0% 3.5% Assumed Override Amount $ 730,329 $ 1,025,743 $ 1,321,158 Estimated Average Single Family Tax Bill Impact for Department Override $ 1 75 $ 247 $ 319 Estimated Average Single Family Tax Bill Impact within Prop 2 1/2 $ 4 01 $ 401 $ 401 Estimated FY 2027 Total Single Family Tax Bill Impact with Override $ 5 76 $ 648 $ 720 Assumes Average Single Family Assessed Value $1,028,374 Assumes the Estimated Property Tax Increase Within Prop 2 ½ is $1,680,701 Preferred Scenario ??? • Final recommended override amount will be after Warrant Committee review of savings from department detailed cost reductions and services from a Level Service budget. • Criteria will include tax impact on residents, service restoration extent, alignment with community priorities and fiscal sustainability. • Provide preliminary guidance (subject to change) to departments for Override budgets

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Posted in Budgets, Financial, Town Meeting, Town Services, Warrant Committee

FY27 PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET REDUCTIONS

Posted on January 14, 2026 | Comments Off on FY27 PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET REDUCTIONS

From Town Administrator, Kristine Trierweiler this morning, her FY27 PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET
REDUCTIONS to the Warrant Committee last night –

FY27 PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET REDUCTIONS Department Proposed Cuts Police Department Eliminate on-call animal control officer Police Department Eliminate funding to staff community events at no charge Assessor’s Department Reduce Full Time Admin to Part Time MSH Maintenance Eliminate dog waste pickups Select Board Eliminate printing GFOA Budget Book Select Board Eliminate offsite storage at Montrose Facilities Reduction of electricity budget due to solar Parks and Recreation Reduction in overtime budget

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Posted in Budgets, Financial, Town Meeting, Town Services

MMA Suggests Solutions to Declining State Aid

Posted on December 11, 2025 | Comments Off on MMA Suggests Solutions to Declining State Aid

GET THE FULL ARTICLE VIA THE LINK BELOW:

Navigating the Storm: Charting a Course Toward Fiscal Stability

State aid – Unrestricted General Government Aid, or UGGA – to Medfield has declined for decades, and today is at less than half the level of our real estate property tax revenue that it was in 2007. The declining state aid has increasingly moved municipal services from being funded by the state income tax to the local property tax.

Thanks to Steve Callahan, Chair of the Warrant Committee for circulating the link to the Massachusetts Municipal Association piece that Assistant Town Administrator, Brittney Franklin shared with him.

Thanks too to the Massachusetts Municipal Association for focusing on this issue of inadequate and declining state funding.

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Posted in Budgets, Financial, Legislature, Select Board matters, Warrant Committee

Town’s Buildings Require $100m in Repairs in Next 5 years

Posted on December 11, 2025 | 1 comment

 https://town.medfield.net/DocumentCenter/View/9333/Medfield_CapitalPlan_DecarbonizationStudy-1

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Posted in Budgets, Buildings, Financial, Select Board matters, Town Meeting, Town Services, Warrant Committee

Black Out at Budget Workshop

Posted on December 3, 2025 | 2 comments

MEDFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT photo –

The Warrant Committee’s joint budget workshop with the Select Board and School Committee last night was ended by this tree on the wires along Main Street that turned off the electricity to the Medfield High School library, putting the meeting into darkness – the MHS’s emergency generator failed to come on. The meeting proceeded in the dimness for a short time illuminated only by the light from the computer screens and cell phones, and apparently was still being broadcast on backup power.

The workshop discussion will be re-scheduled and the discussions will continue.

Issue = only an additional 1.2% budget monies are available for spending increases for FY27, so even level funding is not possible. Plus large capital expenses required:

  1. $120 m. required to repair town buildings over the next 20 years.
  2. $100 m. required in next 5 years for priority building repairs – roofs and building envelopes.
  3. Dale Street School must be replaced.

Overrides seem needed, unless residents want fewer services.

Thank you to the Warrant Committee for starting the discussion!

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Posted in Budgets, Financial, Medfield High School, Police Department, Schools, Select Board matters, Warrant Committee

Massachusetts losing $3.7 billion to Trump policies, per state dashboard

Posted on October 8, 2025 | Comments Off on Massachusetts losing $3.7 billion to Trump policies, per state dashboard

From the Globe –

New dashboard shows exactly how much federal funding Mass. is losing out on under Trump

Many Massachusetts residents are at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage, SNAP benefits, and more under the cuts.

Massachusetts is losing about $3.7 billion in federal funds due to actions by the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress. Suzanne Kreiter/Boston Globe

By Ross CristantielloOctober 7, 2025 | 11:24 AM

Massachusetts officials launched a new online dashboard this week designed to clearly show how federal funding cuts are negatively impacting Massachusetts under the Trump administration. All told, the state has lost about $3.7 billion due to President Trump and a Congress beholden to him, according to the dashboard.  

From Massachusetts state website –

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Posted in Budgets, Federal Government, Financial, State

Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Causes $650 m. Hole in Mass State Budget

Posted on October 5, 2025 | 1 comment

  Read Online

New tax provisions brings a $650M state budget hit with the shutdown adding to the woes

  Sam Drysdale share on facebook   share on twitter   share on threads   share on linkedin

Just three months into the new fiscal year, lawmakers learned about a new wrinkle caused by the One Big Beautiful Bill: federal tax law changes within the new law that could remove $650 million in state tax revenue supports that are holding up the $61 billion annual budget.

The sweeping federal legislation, signed the same day as the state budget, could siphon hundreds of millions from Beacon Hill’s coffers, a development disclosed at an economic roundtable. The news is forcing lawmakers to rethink core assumptions and scramble for possible fiscal workarounds. Add a full-blown federal government shutdown to the mix, and the state’s economic footing looks shakier by the day.

The shutdown became official on Wednesday. Federal offices closed. Economic data streams went dark. Gov. Maura Healey didn’t mince words: “It’s terrible for our country.”

She blasted Congressional Republicans for “driving us over a cliff.”

Roughly 45,000 federal workers who live in Massachusetts could be facing furloughs, and state officials began preliminary planning last week to keep key programs afloat while federal dollars are paused.

The U.S. Department of Labor also confirmed that Friday’s national jobs report would be shelved, sidelining data that influences economic, government and business decisions.

On Tuesday, Revenue Commissioner Geoffrey Snyder dropped the news about the $650 million exposure that occurs because the state is “coupled” with many federal tax provisions, creating ripple effects.

“This is one of the more challenging times that we’ve faced from a fiscal perspective,” said House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz, noting that while several options are on the table, few are ideal.

Budget leaders are now weighing, at a minimum, whether to dip into reserves, revise revenue forecasts mid-year (a decision due by Oct. 15), or decouple state tax law from specific parts of the federal code.

Administration and Finance Secretary Matt Gorzkowicz was blunt: “There’s a lot of uncertainty, and there’s a lot of things we have to consider in managing that.”

Pressed on whether midyear budget cuts might be necessary, Gorzkowicz said simply: “I don’t know.”

The state does $860 million in unallocated funds built into the budget, perhaps with some foresight of what was coming but possibly also due to the common legislative tendency to pass supplemental budgets.

Sen. Michael Rodrigues, however, signaled restraint around the state’s over-$8 billion reserve fund: “We have other tools available. I’d be hard-pressed to suggest dipping into the Stabilization Fund right now.”

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Posted in Budgets, Federal Government, Financial, Legislature, State

State Flush with $, but not Sharing

Posted on June 7, 2025 | Comments Off on State Flush with $, but not Sharing

From the Statehouse News Service Weekly Roundup (that former Medfield resident John Nunnari faithfully continues to share with me weekly, despite being gone 5+ years) –

“State tax collections continue to cruise, putting the total haul with just one month left in the fiscal year more than $2.8 billion ahead of last year’s pace”

Yet the state is not sharing so much with Medfield this year. Current Cherry Sheet estimated increases for state revenue sharing with towns over last year are modest.

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Posted in Budgets, Financial, Legislature, State

House budget issued per MMA

Posted on April 10, 2024 | Comments Off on House budget issued per MMA

The Massachusetts Municipal Association emailed this afternoon about what is in the House version of the budget, which was released this afternoon. The Governor proposed raising our UGGA by 3%, but the House only came through with a 1% increase. Medfield’s draft Cherry Sheet based on these House numbers will be available later this week.

In general, state aid to Medfield has been declining for years, meaning that more of what the town needs to provide for its citizens must be done with property taxes.

House Ways & Means Committee Files $57.9B FY2025 Spending Proposal  
April 10, 2024  

Earlier today, the House Ways & Means Committee released a $57.9 billion state budget plan for fiscal 2025. The proposal includes several important investments in schools and municipalities, despite more modest state revenue expectations than in recent years.   The House Ways & Means Committee budget, H. 4600, offers important progress on a top local aid priority, by adding $37 million to lift the per-pupil minimum aid amount from $30 per student to $104. This is welcome news for 228 districts across the Commonwealth that were statutorily set to receive an increase of less than $104 per student in Chapter 70 aid funding.   The HWM budget includes a 1% increase in Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) over last year, lower than the 3% increase offered by the Governor. During the budget debate and legislative session, the MMA will work to build on this figure, and will continue to advocate strongly for a further increase in Unrestricted General Government Aid as well as other key municipal aid accounts. The state’s changing revenue landscape underscores the need for collective advocacy from local officials in several essential areas.  

The MMA will reach out in the weeks ahead with more information on critical advocacy opportunities during the House budget debate.   The following are key components of the HWM proposal for municipalities:  

Unrestricted General Government Aid – $12.7 million increase The HWM budget includes a $12.7 million increase in the Unrestricted General Government Aid account, a 1% increase over fiscal 2024. This is below the Governor’s recommendation of a 3% increase for fiscal 2025.  

Chapter 70 School Aid – $308.7 million increase lifts Minimum Aid to $104 Per Student The HWM budget recommendation continues implementation of the funding schedules in the 2019 Student Opportunity Act to stay on track with the law’s intended schedule. The proposal represents funding year four of the law’s six-year rollout. In a major win for cities and towns, the House Ways and Means proposal increases per-pupil spending for Minimum Aid districts from $30 to $104 per student, leveraging surtax revenues to increase the total for Minimum Aid districts by $37 million. This would benefit the 228 out of 318 districts that were set to receive an increase of less than $104 per student for fiscal 2025.  

Charter School Reimbursements – $199 million The HWM budget would fund the charter school reimbursement account at $199 million, intended to meet the commitment to fund the state’s statutory obligation to mitigate Chapter 70 losses to charter schools.  

Rural School Aid – $7.5 million The HWM budget would fund Rural School Aid at $7.5 million for eligible towns and regional school districts. The grant program helps districts facing the challenge of declining enrollment to identify ways to form regional school districts or regionalize certain school services to create efficiencies. This amount reflects a decrease from fiscal 2024, which was funded at $15 million.  

Special Education Circuit Breaker – $492.2 million The HWM budget would fund the Special Education Circuit Breaker program at $492.2 million. By leveraging $75 million from a recently passed fiscal 2023 supplemental budget, total funding in fiscal 2025 would be $567 million via this proposal.  

Regional School Transportation – $99.4 million The HWM budget submission would fund regional transportation reimbursements at $99.4 million for fiscal 2025. According to updated cost projections from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, this represents an 87% reimbursement of anticipated claims.  

McKinney-Vento Reimbursements – $28.6 million The HWM budget would fund reimbursements for the transportation of homeless students at $28.6 million for fiscal 2025. The impact of this funding level by community will depend on the number of homeless families that remain sheltered in local hotels and motels. According to updated cost projections from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the HWM proposal represents 74.4% of anticipated claims for fiscal 2025.   The HWM budget does not have a line item for out-of-district vocational transportation, which was funded at $1 million in fiscal 2024.  

Payments-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOT) – $51.8 million The HWM budget would fund PILOT payments at $51.8 million, an increase of $334,000. This amount should hold communities harmless from recent valuations.  

Surtax Investments   Fiscal 2025 is the second year that revenue from the Fair Share amendment will be allocated. The HWM budget proposes $1.3 billion in Fair Share investments in education and transportation needs, including the following of note to municipalities:  

Supplemental Local Road and Bridge Funding – $25 million The HWM budget proposes an additional $25 million of surtax revenue for supplemental local road and bridge funding. This amount would be separate from the annual Chapter 90 bond authorization. This funding would be put to use immediately by cities and towns to repair crumbling local roads, advance critically needed projects, and improve safety on our neighborhood roadways.  

Green School Works – $10 million The HWM proposal includes $10 million for the Green School Works grant program that was launched during fiscal 2024. This program, administered through DESE, provides financial support to K-12 districts to install or maintain clean energy infrastructure.  

Universal School Meals – $190 million The HWM proposal includes $190 million to continue the Universal School Meals program, allowing all Massachusetts students to eat for free at school, regardless of household income.  

Outside Sections   Disaster Relief and Resiliency Fund The HWM budget includes an outside section (Section 37) to establish a permanent Disaster Relief and Resiliency Fund, which intends to provide relief to municipalities impacted by extreme weather events. Outside Section 92 directs the state’s comptroller to transfer $14 million from any consolidated net budget surplus for fiscal 2025 to the Disaster Relief and Resiliency Fund.  

Creation of an iLottery, Dedicated to Early Education The HWM budget includes an outside section that would allow the Massachusetts State Lottery to create an online platform, or iLottery, with the resulting new revenue targeted to early education and care programming. While these are very worthwhile programs, they are not the intended mission of the Lottery for more than 50 years, which is to fund aid to cities and towns.  

Next Steps Members of the House have until 5 p.m. on Friday to file budget amendments. The House is expected to begin debate on its fiscal 2025 state budget proposal on April 24. The Senate will take up its budget process in May, with the goal of having a final bill on the governor’s desk in time for the July 1 start of the fiscal year.   The MMA will continue to reach out to local officials in the weeks and months ahead to engage in advocacy efforts on behalf of many critical municipal and school aid programs.  

Helpful Links:

The Division of Local Services will update the Preliminary Cherry Sheets to reflect the House Ways & Means proposal later this week.

Click here to see the full text of the House Ways & Means budget proposal.    

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Posted in Budgets, Financial, Legislature, State

MSBA has not included Medfield

Posted on December 11, 2023 | 1 comment

Email from Mike Webber, Chair, School Building Committee –

========================================================

All, 

See link below.   Medfield is NOT on the Agenda.   

Click to access MSBA%20Board%20Meeting%20Notice%2C%20December%2013%2C%202023.pdf

========================================================
Deborah B. Goldberg James A. MacDonald Mary L. Pichetti Chair, State Treasurer Chief Executive Officer Executive Director / Deputy CEO 40 Broad Street, Suite 500 ● Boston, MA 02109 ● Phone: 617-720-4466 ● www.MassSchoolBuildings.org Notice of Public Meeting of the Massachusetts School Building Authority Board of Directors In accordance with §§18-25 of Chapter 30A of the Massachusetts General Laws and 940 CMR 29.03, but subject to Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2023 signed into law by Governor Healey on March 29, 2023, notice is hereby given of a meeting of the Massachusetts School Building Authority Board of Directors to be held remotely at the following time and location: Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at 10:00 A.M. Zoom/Conference Call Meeting: Those who would like to attend the meeting should contact Maria.Puopolo@MassSchoolBuildings.org for the information and instructions to access the meeting. If you prefer or have any questions, please call 617-960-3067. Information to register for and to access the meeting will be available throughout the duration of the meeting. Reasonably anticipated topics of discussion at the December 13, 2023 MSBA Board of Directors Meeting include: • Approval of the October 25, 2023 Board Meeting Minutes; • Authorization to invite the City of Boston, the Town of Chelmsford, the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District, the City of Everett, the City of Framingham, the City of Haverhill, the Town of Leicester, the Manchester-Essex Regional School District, the City of Medford, the Town of Milford, the Town of Needham, the City of New Bedford, the Town of Northborough, the City of Peabody, the City of Somerville, the Town of South Hadley, the City of Springfield, the Town of Westford, and the City of Worcester into the MSBA’s Eligibility Period; • Authorization to invite the Town of West Bridgewater to collaborate with the MSBA in conducting a Feasibility Study; • Approval of Accelerated Repair Program projects and authorization for the Executive Director to execute a Project Funding Agreement with the City of Lowell; • Recommendation for Preferred Schematic Design for the Town of Agawam, Town of Belchertown, and the City of North Adams; • Approval of projects and authorization for the Executive Director to execute Project Scope and Budget Agreements and Project Funding Agreements with the City of Lynn, the City of New Bedford, the City of Newton, and the Whittier Regional Vocational Technical School District; 40 Broad Street, Suite 500 ● Boston, MA 02109 ● Phone: 617-720-4466 ● www.MassSchoolBuildings.org • Audit Update, including Audit Status Report; • Approval of Final Audits for MSBA Grant Program projects; • Executive Director’s Report on various site visits, meetings, and other undertakings of the MSBA; • Project status updates, including a Project Overview Report; • Supplemental Grant Update; • Recommendation and authorization for Eligibility Period Extension for the City of Brockton; • Finance updates, including a Sales Tax Collection Update, Grant Payments Update and FY24 Budget Update; and • Other items not reasonably anticipated 48 hours prior to the meeting. Note: Remote call participants should call 617-960-3067 if there are any difficulties accessing the meeting conference line. cc: Office of the Secretary of State via e-mail (regs@sec.state.ma.us) Office of the Secretary of Administration and Finance via e-mail (melissa.andrade@state.ma.us) This notice is posted at www.massschoolbuildings.org

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Posted in Buildings, Financial, Schools