The Finance Committee has already started meeting with individual department heads about next year’s budget, but budget season kicks off for real tonight when Town Manager Scott Lambiase gives the Board of Selectmen its first full update on his FY ’25 spending plan.
Bottom Line Up Front for you corporate types: Lambiase is looking for a level services budget that covers the cost of increases in contractual obligations and includes some money for capital improvements, but not much else.
“We’re not creating any new programming,” he said, adding that it’s still very early in the budgeting process.
Unlike some other towns, which are already talking about the dreaded “O” word, Lambiase thinks Abington should be able to balance its budget with the allowed Prop 2 1/2 property tax increases, level state aid, and zero-to-small growth in meals, excise, and cannabis tax collections. But more on that in a bit.
His initial budget draft includes money to cover the final year of the police and fire contracts, expected increases in health insurance, liability insurance, and pension costs, the town’s first contribution to the regional dispatch center, plus about $1.6 million in capital projects. The schools will hold their budget discussions in coming weeks with a public hearing likely taking place in January. We are predicting they will also be looking for a budget increase, as more families send their kids to Abington schools.
In terms of revenues, Lambiase is counting on the annual 2.5 percent tax levy increase, plus new growth, which could be softer than in recent years due to a slowdown in development (a pair of 40B projects have not yet broken ground and likely won’t impact the FY25 budget). Finance officials are monitoring usage taxes such as excise, meals, and cannabis — the prophesied recession has yet to materialize, but the town traditionally takes a conservative approach to budgeting these more volatile revenue sources, opting to take the previous fiscal year’s collection numbers and make minor adjustments based on recent trends.
Years of healthy increases in state aid, which is the town’s second largest revenue source behind property taxes, may be over. The state is struggling to meet tax collection projections this year (they’re up, just not up as much as expected) and Gov. Maura Healey won’t present her state budget for at least another month. The Legislature is usually loathe to approve state aid numbers lower than the governor’s, absent an economic collapse (which has happened in the past). So Healey’s numbers will serve as a solid floor for municipal budget writers.
Back to the O-word. Lambiase said an override isn’t in the cards this year. But next year or the year after? That might be another story, as inflationary pressures build. At the very least, the town may seek more money for trash collection. Back in 2009, town voters approved a $650,000 override to fund trash collection. The cost now exceeds $1.5 million as trash disposal costs have risen steadily.
The Finance Committee this week will discuss the proposed library, health, and water department budgets. They will meet on a near weekly basis up through Town Meeting going over every departmental budget and line item. A full budget package will be ready later this spring.
GREEN WAVE ATHLETICS
BOYS/GIRLS INDOOR TRACK
Monday, 6 p.m., vs. Carver & Norwell, Reggie Lewis Center
BOYS BASKETBALL
Varsity
Thursday, 6:30 p.m., @ Hull
Saturday, 2:30 p.m., @ Martha’s Vineyard
Junior Varsity
No Games
Freshmen
Thursday, 5 p.m., @ Hull
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Varsity
Saturday, 12:30 p.m., @ Martha’s Vineyard
Junior Varsity
No Games
BOYS HOCKEY
Varsity
Saturday, 2:30 p.m., vs. Sandwich (Rockland Ice Rink)
Junior Varsity
Sunday, 5:30 p.m., @ Archbishop Williams (Hobomock Ice Arena)
GIRLS HOCKEY
Varsity (with Scituate and Norwell)
Saturday, 10 a.m., vs Plymouth N/S @ Armstrong Arena, Plymouth
MEETING SCHEDULE
MONDAY
Affordable Housing Trust Fund Committee, 5:30 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes updates on the North and Center Schools, the town’s affordable housing inventory, requests for CPA funds, discussions about a possible Habitat for Humanity project, and and update on the proposed Mass. Affordable Homes Act.
Board of Selectmen, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes a liquor license transfer at Tenth District, filling vacancies on the Board of Assessors and Zoning Board of Appeals, annual license renewals, a vote to support the Southfield MEPA permit application, and a budget update from the Town Manager.
Board of Assessors, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes a jpoint meeting with the Board of Selectmen to appoint a new member.
TUESDAY
Abington & Rockland Joint Water Works, 3:30 p.m., 366 Centre Ave. Agenda includes discussion about high consumptiopn billing, Q4 water bills, new water restriction signs, and possible town meeting articles.
Conservation Commission, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes 5 Robert English Way, 17 Robert English Way, 1400 Bedford Street, 145 Linwood Street, and 267 North Quincy Street, plus discussions about National Grid and Hanson Tree.
Community Preservation Committee, 7 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes approval of FY25 grant applications.
WEDNESDAY
Fire Station/DPW Committee, 9 a.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes status update on the site and building layouts, and discussions on relocating DPW during construction, possible traffic studies at nearby intersections, and scheduling tours of other towns’ facilities.
Strawberry Valley Golf Course Committee, 5 p.m., Course Clubhouse. Agenda includes FY 24/25 budget discussions, 2024 rate hikes, and capital plan efforts.
Charter Review Commission, 6 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes discussion of proposed changes and possible votes on recommended language.
Finance Committee, 7 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes reviews of the proposed library, health, and water department budgets.