Boxborough Finance Committee Defers Reserve Fund Draw, Debates Override Budget Strategy

BOXBOROUGH — November 18, 2025 — Boxborough Finance Committee defers a $37,000 bond principal transfer and debates a Proposition 2.5 override budget strategy. At the November 18 meeting, the committee chose to cover a December 1 bond principal payment from an existing debt-interest budget line rather than tap the reserve fund, deferring any formal transfer until May. Chair Maria Nealan will present draft A and B budget guidelines to the Select Board on Monday, with the A budget allowing spending increases "up to 5.5 percent" and the B budget capping increases at 2 percent assuming an override fails. Member Michelle argued against pursuing an override at all, citing macroeconomic uncertainty and a senior population she estimated at 30 percent of Boxborough residents on fixed incomes, but the committee did not reach consensus. School Committee liaison Liz Connor reported the Acton-Boxborough Regional district is targeting a 3.75 to 4.25 percent budget increase for FY27, which Finance Committee member John Greven calculated would produce a 5.9 to 13 percent increase in Boxborough's school assessment — Boxborough's share of a projected $118 million district budget is roughly $17.8 million. The Fire Station Building Committee has narrowed its search to three sites — 984 Mass Ave, 1300 Mass Ave, and 1300 and 72 Stowe Road — with environmental testing now underway at 984 Mass Ave and potential acquisition costs ranging from $1.2 million to $4.5 million.