FY26 Budget Development Schedule

You’re invited! Public meetings through March to focus on next year’s budget

NOTE: There is currently one vacancy on the Finance Committee. Please inquire if interested. walterr@montague-ma.gov

Developing the budget for Annual Town Meeting on May 7, 2024 is a collaborative process that involves the Finance Committee, the Town Administrator, the Town Accountant, the Capital Improvements Committee, and the Selectboard, staff from the Town’s departments, and members of the Town’s many committees and boards. Much of the process takes place in public meetings, allowing you to follow along and weigh in along the way.

January 2025: Information Gathering –> Selectboard & Town Admin Proposal

In December the Selectboard, Finance Committee, Town Administrator, and Town Accountant began to receive and review information about anticipated revenue and expenditures for the fiscal year (FY26) that will begin on July 1, 2025. Most of that information came from the Town’s department heads, who were instructed to prepare requests for funding that would allow them to provide “level services” as well as requests for changes in staffing, programs, and one-time expenses that might appear as “special articles” on an upcoming Town Meeting Warrant.

By February 10, the Town Administrator and Selectboard will complete a preliminary review of the requests received and will provide the Finance Committee with a proposal for the FY26 budget that includes:

• Recommendations related to personnel changes requested by Town departments and enterprise funds (adding staff, increasing hours, regrading/reworking positions, etc.)
• Recommendations on any other significant opportunities or changes they believe should be addressed in the town’s FY26 budget.
• An updated estimate, based on available information, of the revenue we can reasonably expect to receive to support the FY26 budget.
• An updated estimate, based on available information, of what it would cost to support the expenditures proposed for FY26.

January-February 2025: Finance Committee Investigation

At this point, the Finance Committee will begin to focus intensively on evaluating the proposed operating budget, including looking at the long-term implications of changes initiated in FY26. The FinCom’s goal will be to decide whether to recommend the Selectboard’s budget proposal to Town Meeting, or offer suggestions for modifications. FinCom’s investigation will include discussion by the committee, conversations and correspondence with staff and committees, and opportunities for the public to give input and ask questions. While members of the Selectboard are welcome to attend Finance Committee meetings during this period, they are not expected to participate.

Most of this will happen during Finance Committee meetings on Wednesday evenings. Our meetings typically begin at 6PM and last about 90 minutes. We will expect to continue holding meetings online; you can find the Zoom link on the meeting agendas, which will be posted here: /calendar. Our meetings are also broadcast and recorded by MCTV (Channel 17 / https://vimeo.com/mctvchannel17/videos)

During this phase, the Finance Committee will dedicate time at the beginning of each of its meetings for hearing comments from the public. If you have thoughts that you’d like to share “on the record,” please come to a meeting to share them briefly in person or send an email: montaguefinancecommittee@gmail.com or walterr@montague-ma.gov

Here are the dates of our “investigation” meetings and the topics we expect to focus on at each:

Jan 8- FY26 revenue estimates, Requests from Department of Public Works, Financial Articles for Feb 12 Special Town Meeting

Jan 15- Requests from Cemeteries and Airport and financial articles for Feb 12 Special Town Meeting

Jan 22- Requests from Libraries and Clean Water Facility

Jan 29- Other Requests from Human Services, Culture, Recreation, Public Safety, and General Government

Feb 5 (Wed, 5:30PM) - Gill-Montague Regional School District FY26 budget presentation for town officials from Gill and Montague

Feb 12- GMRSD Budget, Selectboard Recommendations

And here are some other meetings that may be of interest that are not Finance Committee meetings:

Jan 13 (Monday, 6:30PM) – The Selectboard reviews personnel-related requests for FY26

Feb 12 (Wed., 6:30PM) – Montague Special Town Meeting (Winter FY25)

TBD - Gill-Montague Regional School District FY23 budget hearing (hosted by GMRSD - http://gmrsd.org/welcome-gmrsd/school-committee)

TBD - Franklin County Technical School District FY23 budget hearing (for details contact: https://www.fcts.us/gallery/2/1658/s/Barbara-Williams)

TBD – Franklin County Technical School District FY23 budget presentation for town officials from Gill and Montague (hosted by Montague Selectboard)

March- April 2022: Reconciliation and Warrant Votes

In March, the Finance Committee and the Selectboard will convene together several times at the Finance Committee’s meeting time. During this phase, they will hear the Capital Improvement Committee’s recommendations on requests for FY26 capital expenditures, the two bodies will attempt to agree upon a single budget proposal that will be brought to Town Meeting. Also FinCom will discuss uses of and contributions to the Town’s Reserve funds in FY26, and will vote recommendations on the articles that will appear on the Annual Town Meeting warrant.

The Finance Committee’s report on the proposed budget, the warrant, and background information on articles will be posted and mailed to Town Meeting members by April 9, 2025.

Dorinda Bell-Upp, Chair
Montague Finance Committee

Walter Ramsey

Montague Town Administrator

December 23, 2024

Attached File:

• FY26 Budget Calendar 2024-12-16 1.pdf

Posted: to General Montague News on Mon, Dec 23, 2024
Updated: Mon, Dec 23, 2024