As a difficult budget year continues, the Board of Selectmen voted on new language for a potential override ballot question and heard a budget update.

At the meeting on Tuesday Feb. 19, Selectman Bill Plasko discussed an update to wording that was determined for a ballot question regarding a potential override.

“We chose to keep [the override vote] as simple as possible and have one ballot question,” Plasko said.

Originally, the question asked residents to vote on whether the town would be allowed an additional $5.95 million in real estate and personal property taxes. Plasko said that because the override would also be used to establish a stabilization fund, it was recommended that the wording be more explanatory. The board voted to approve the new wording, which clarifies how the money would be designated. The School Department would receive $550,000 of the funding, $4.7 million would be used to establish a stabilization fund for Municipal Government and School Department operations, and $700,000 for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Plasko noted that the amount is the same and the question is still requesting one vote, but the new wording provides more information.

General Manager Tony Mazzucco also presented on the factors impacting the budget, including cost reductions, cost increases, and items that were not honored in the budget. Mazzucco pointed out that there were three areas where costs decreased – veterans services, costs of the lighting department, and street lighting.

He noted that the town is seeing fewer requests for money from the veterans fund, which can be attributed to a strong economy. The town has also completed the switch to LED lights for its street lights. Overall, these savings amounted to approximately $440,000 for the three areas.

Several major items were not included in the town’s general government budget, including software maintenance, DPW equipment, road money, and care of the Forbes Hill house. Selectman Helen Donahue questioned the decision to recommend the Forbes Hill house not be cared for, but Mazzucco said he would rather let the building fall apart than cut somebody’s job.

“I don’t consider that building to be a critical asset,” he said.

The budget is also facing cost increases, with increasing snow and ice funding, increases in solid waste recycling costs, as well as cost increases for the Fire Department and Facilities Department. Total cost increases will be approximately $573,000. The changes to the Facilities Department will allow for a restructuring that will shift $170,000 from the School Department budget to the General Government budget to account for the school’s Facilities Manager.

Mazzucco also noted that there had been approximately $720,000 in positive revenue changes relating to state aid and meter fee increases, but the bottom line was not likely to change. He said the next five years would be challenging for the budget unless something changes, with general government running on a $1.5 million deficit and the School Department on a $2 million deficit.

“In the next four years, we are looking at some particularly difficult cuts,” he said.

Projected cuts for fiscal year 2021 to fiscal year 2024 include positions at Town Hall, Publics Works, the library, and Public Safety, as well as seasonal help. Other cuts could see the closure of Father Macs, as well as the town reducing obligations to retirees.

Mazzucco highlighted a few further concerns for the future, mainly that free cash generation is low, fund balances are not growing, and the town not being prepared for the next potential recession.

“We’re trying to make strategic changes for the future, but that’s getting more difficult,” he said. “We may have a few challenging years ahead of us.”