At their meeting last night, the Board of Selectmen asked the schools to make deep cuts to help minimize the tax increase for residents. Read the full article → from MWDN: Selectmen ask schools to cut $2M from budget
town-meeting-2011
Residents want to make downtown a historic district
Would you like to see a National Register Historic District sign when you drive through downtown Southborough? Main Street resident Ray Hokinson would. He has been emailing neighbors and meeting with town officials in an effort to create a village center historic district. Read the full article → from Residents want to make downtown a historic district
Modest increase in regional school budget, but big increase in Southborough’s assessment
The Regional School Committee unanimously approved a $17.6M budget at their meeting on Wednesday night. While the budget is a slim 0.55% increase over last year, Southborough’s portion of the bill will increase by nearly $400K — a 6.87% increase over last year. Read the full article → from Modest increase in regional school budget, but big increase in Southborough’s assessment
CPA funds: To spend or not to spend, that is the question for voters
Each year at town meeting, voters dole out thousands of dollars collected under the Community Preservation Act to projects that range from historical preservation to open space acquisition to affordable housing. Selectman John Rooney suggested this might be the year for voters to hold some of that cash in reserve. Read the full article → from CPA funds: To spend or not to spend, that is the question for voters
Would you support a tax increase next year?
Finance Director Brian Ballantine presented one version of a balanced budget to the Board of Selectmen last night. It was balanced thanks to $233K in cuts to town departments and $841 in cuts to the schools, but it was a budget that would still result in a 4.36% tax increase next year. That’s something Selectman John Rooney said he cannot support. Read the full article → from Would you support a tax increase next year?
School committee holds off on budget discussion
Superintendent Charles Gobron told the K-8 School Committee last week that the school budget is in a bit of a holding pattern until more information comes in. Read the full article → from School committee holds off on budget discussion
UPDATED: Selectmen consider moving to Medicare for town retirees
Town Administrator Jean Kitchen told selectmen last week that a change in medical plans for retirees could save the town nearly $170K per year. In the face of a $1.1M budget shortfall, selectmen said they were interested in learning more about the proposal. Read the full article → from UPDATED: Selectmen consider moving to Medicare for town retirees
What if Southborough schools had to cut $500K from their budget?
That was one question asked last night as the Board of Selectmen, Advisory Committee, and K-8 School Committee met jointly to review the school’s proposed $17M budget. Read the full article → from What if Southborough schools had to cut $500K from their budget?
Get your first look at the school budgets
The Board of Selectmen and Advisory Committee meet with the School Committee tonight to go over the K-8 budget. It’s a budget that has inspired significant debate on this blog in the past week (67 comments and counting). Read the full article → from Get your first look at the school budgets
School budget, financial fundamentals to be discussed on Monday night
The latest school budget — and in particular the question of whether to add back a teaching position — has been a hot topic on the blog this week. On Monday night, the Board of Selectmen and Advisory Committee will dig into some of the details as they meet to review the budget with the K-8 School Committee. Read the full article → from School budget, financial fundamentals to be discussed on Monday night
Selectmen support hotel tax increase, nix meals tax
When the Board of Selectmen last year considered imposing a local meal and raising the hospitality tax, they unanimously decided against it. This year the outcome was a bit different. Read the full article → from Selectmen support hotel tax increase, nix meals tax
Selectmen review budgets, ask about Sunday hours for the Transfer Station
Some of you have asked recently what it would take to get the Transfer Station open on Sundays. At their meeting on Tuesday, Selectwoman Bonnie Phaneuf wanted to know the answer to that same question. Read the full article → from Selectmen review budgets, ask about Sunday hours for the Transfer Station
And so the budget season begins …
With our annual town meeting a mere three months away, now is the time when town budgets take center stage. The K-8 School Committee is expected to get its first look at the school budget for fiscal year 2012 on Wednesday night (assuming their meeting isn’t delayed by snow), and tonight the Board of Selectmen will review its first set of budgets. Read the full article → from And so the budget season begins …
School budget numbers still in flux, but no staff reductions anticipated
The Southborough K-8 School Committee had planned on reviewing an initial budget at their meeting last week, but they’ve pushed that off a month saying the numbers are still in flux. Read the full article → from School budget numbers still in flux, but no staff reductions anticipated