Second Round of Department Budgets Sails Through Burlington's Finance Committee
All department increases in this round came in well under the 4.25% target guideline.
The Ways and Means Committee met on March 11 to review the second round of departmental budgets for fiscal year 27, which will be added into the town's budget book and voted on by Town Meeting at the annual May Town Meeting.
Further reading on the budgeting process and the first round of budgets discussed by the committee:
Nicci Kadilak
Nicci Kadilak
Historical Commission - $9,205
There was no discussion needed for this budget, which is nominal in comparison with the town's nearly $200,000,000 operationg budget. Of note: The Historical Commission will once again will be offering historical trolley tours of Burlington during Celebrate Burlington.
Ways & Means Vote: 14-0
Assessor's Office - $537,598
There was an increase in this budget to upgrade aging software to support the department.
Ways & Means Vote: 14-0 | Select Board Vote: 5-0
Veterans Affairs - $308,665
The nominal increase in this budget includes software to connect the department with the federal benefits management system.
Ways & Means Vote: 14-0 | Select Board Vote: 5-0
Disability Access Commission - $11,439
Ways & Means Vote: 14-0 | Select Board Vote: 5-0
Building Department - $784,054
The main change in this budget was a decrease in overtime allocation from $48,000 to $30,000. This, said Building Inspector Martin Allan, is because "activity has been down for after hours inspections." The point was made that after-hours inspections bring in increased fees and that those likely offset part or all of the overtime paid.
"If we're marking to what it actually costs us, it should net out and we shouldn't be all that concerned with that variability," said Ways & Means Committee member Ed Parsons.
Ways & Means Vote: 14-0 | Select Board Vote: 5-0
Technology - $946,751
Changes included web hosting fee increases, a 7% increase for Munis enterprise resource planning support, and DocuSign subscription costs to make paperwork processes more efficient.
Ways & Means Vote: 14-0 | Select Board Vote: 5-0
Capital Improvements - $700,000 (amended from proposed $800,000)
The committee discussed implementing a new "operating capital" funding approach for capital improvements, with $100,000 proposed to be handled as a separate warrant article rather than included in the operating budget. This, said Assistant Town Administrator Patrick Lawlor, would "introduce the idea that capital expenses can be funded from more than one source."
Ways & Means Vote: 14-0 | Select Board Vote: 5-0
Youth and Family Services - $625,795
The clinical supervisor position was reduced from 35 to 25 hours, with the case load being redistributed among other employees.
Ways & Means Vote: 14-0 | Select Board Vote: 5-0
Zoning Board of Appeals - $13,731
This budget was level funded from last year.
Ways & Means Vote: 14-0
Town Meeting and Reports - Amount: $30,435
This includes funds to produce the town's thrice-annual Town Meetings.
Ways & Means Vote: 14-0 | Select Board Vote: 5-0
Treasurer Collector - Amount: $814,202
A new vendor for tax bill mailing has reduced costs; a new system for parking tickets will be implemented and will allow for online parking ticket payment.
Lawlor noted the department has seen savings in recent years due to retirements, as well as enhanced efficiency facilitated by technology.
Ways & Means Vote: 14-0 | Select Board Vote: 5-0
More FY27 Budget Discussions to Come
The Ways & Means Committee will continue reviewing budgets and capital items over the next several weeks, with a couple of notes:
- The March 18 meeting will begin at 7:15 rather than 7:00 in light of the Economic Development Summit planned for that evening.
- The deadline for capital articles is March 27, and the Committee will discuss those in April.
- More discussion is to come on the budget for Shawsheen Tech, for which Burlington is one of five sending communities. Keep an eye out for that in a future story.
