Boxborough Finance Committee Approves Two Reserve Fund Transfers, Reviews Tight FY26 Budget

BOXBOROUGH — December 17, 2024 — Boxborough Finance Committee approves two reserve fund transfers and gets first look at a not-yet-balanced FY26 budget. The committee unanimously approved a $3,700 transfer for a biennial OPEB audit billed in two annual installments by auditor Odyssey and a $300 transfer to cover a MassEnergize membership fee increase for the Sustainability Committee, whose annual cost rose from $450 to $750 without advance notice. Town Administrator Mike Johns presented a preliminary FY26 budget projecting new growth revenue as low as $200,000 — down from $350,000 to $400,000 in recent years — and flagged a 10 percent healthcare cost increase in the town's first year with the MIIA health trust. School Committee Chair Liz Folks, attending by Zoom, confirmed the Acton-Boxborough school assessment for Boxborough is tracking at approximately 5.15 percent, well under the 6 percent target. The committee voted 6-0 on funding sources for three special town meeting articles, including a $115,000 field mower and a $100,000 supplemental OPEB contribution, designating free cash as the fallback source in each case, with ARPA funds the preferred vehicle for the mower if contracts can be committed before year-end. Chair Tony Newton pressed for a full fee analysis of field use and transfer station charges, noting the transfer station runs roughly $100,000 in the red before labor costs are counted.