Budget Hearings Open: Structural Deficit Continues To Plague Town Finances

       The Westford Finance committee opened its budget hearings for the FY2027 budget process, which will culminate at town meeting in March of this year. Town Manager Kris Las opened the hearings by offering her defense of a proposed 151M town budget, a 3% increase over the 147M budget of the previous year.   Las declared, that there would be no override this year, however, she made it clear that there are serious concerns about FY2027 budget.  Las said the town faces a persistent structural deficit. Costs continue to rise faster than revenue and this will prove especially problematic next year, which is the last year that Federal ARPA funds will be available to balance the budget.  These are legacy funds left over from the COVID expenditures a few years ago.  The cost of collective bargaining agreements, utility costs, demands from new growth, capital initiatives, overtime and increasing costs related to water enterprise, were all cited as cost drivers.  Las lamented the constraints imposed by proposition 2 ½.

The town water department defended a 3.90% budget increase. Much of this cost is driven by contractual salary hikes, increasing state and federal mandates and the cost of water treatment chemicals.  It was disclosed, that cyber security has now become a paramount concern, after an incident in Littleton, which involved an attempt by the CCP to penetrate the town’s water control system. The penetration was target at the control system and was aimed at manipulating the chemical configurations in the water supply.   The EPA and DEP have been aggressively reviewing the security of water control systems across the state.  Westford’s control system is 20 years old.   

    Library Director Elaine Rainville justified a 5% increase in the library budget.  She said the costs were related to the purchase of a new heat pump and the hiring of an evening custodian.  She reported that the library construction project was on schedule.  The library will return to its Main Street location in January of 2027.  She reviewed the funding for the new expansion:  Total cost 32.5M, state contribution were 21M and the town contributed 10.5.  1 M was raised through private donations.

     Assistant Town Manager Mike Edwards reported on the town’s, waste disposal program, which is under contract with E.L. Harvey.  He described the arrangement as very successful.  This year the town will move to a “pay as your throw” program.  Each resident will be issued a 35 gallon cart. Refuse, placed in this cart, will be collected free of charge. For added trash removal, residents will have to purchase trash bags for $2.75, to be eligible for trash pickup.  Local vendors will sell the bags, but all proceeds will be directed back to the town.  Edwards also floated the prospect of hiring a “management analyst” to oversee the waste disposal program and other cost saving initiatives in town, to ensure that Westford is realizing maximum benefit from its cost savings efforts. Edwards claimed that the analyst’s salary will be paid out of trash fees.

              In other business, School Committee Chair Valerie Young utilized the open forum section of the meeting to urge the select board to reconsider the dates and times of town meeting.  She urged them to move the meeting to a date later in the year and to conduct it on weekday nights not on weekends.   The FINCOM also voted unanimously to approve a 74K budget transfer from the Water Enterprise reserve account to fund repairs for damage done by a water main break, that occurred on Grove street.   The next FINCOM budget meeting will be this Thursday January 15^th at town hall. Public Safety will be the topic, however a review of the Police budget will not take place until January 29^th.