Boxborough Finance Committee Approves Ten Reserve Fund Transfers Totaling $64,000

BOXBOROUGH -- June 24, 2025, Boxborough Finance Committee approves $64,000 in year-end reserve fund transfers. The committee voted unanimously Tuesday to approve ten individual transfers covering shortfalls across the accountant, legal, fire, library, and town clerk departments. The $30,000 fire department overtime transfer drew a notable aside from Town Administrator Mike Johns, who said staffing turnover contributing to the overrun is partly driven by the condition of the town's aging fire station. The $15,000 legal transfer came after Johns discovered late in the year that charges had been posted to the legal line without his office's knowledge, a process now corrected, though he acknowledged the $130,000 FY26 legal budget could face pressure from a likely third special town meeting. Finance Director Hongwa Lee projected roughly $1 million will roll back into free cash at fiscal year-end. The committee also voted to post the final FY26 operating budget of $29,522,971 to the town website and agreed to bring a proposal to the Select Board to reinstate a Board of Assessors, citing a statewide average overlay reserve rate of 0.85 percent against Boxborough's 1.86 percent average over five years.