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Sudbury’s Budget Working Group met last week to review the latest modeling of the Fiscal Year 2028 (FY28) budget, and discuss the overall approach to close the forecasted deficit. (For information from the earlier meetings, read THIS.)
While the meeting was largely uneventful, there were two key takeaways. The first was potentially big news, if it turns out to be the case. Assistant Town Manager and Finance Director Victor Garofalo told the group that early information indicates the Town may be able to reduce the forecasted expenses for insurance by between $400,000 and $500,000. He cautioned that the information was preliminary, but if it holds it would cut the remaining budget gap roughly in half. That puts a balanced budget within striking distance, and could help to avoid more painful cuts to the operating budgets of Sudbury’s three cost centers.
The second highlight was when Town Manager Andy Sheehan candidly asked the group to provide any feedback on the overall approach. In short: is override avoidance the right strategy, or should the Town be considering other options, such as pursuing an override in FY28? The response was unambiguous, members validate the current approach, and none of the members voiced an objection. Multiple members voiced appreciation for how much information Sheehan and Garofalo have been able to provide so early in the budget building season. Member Jack Ryan, speaking on his own behalf and not the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee, noted “It’s providing information to the whole town earlier than this kind of information has ever been provided to the town in the last 40 years. And everything is reasonable, we could quibble about things here and there, but the overall perspective seems to be very reasonable to me.”
The group will continue to meet in the months ahead. Sheehan is expected to give his annual presentation on the financial condition of the Town this fall, and each of Sudbury’s school districts will soon be knee-deep in their own budget building processes.
