Boxborough Finance Panel Flags $724,960 Levy Calculation Error Ahead of FY27 Budget

BOXBOROUGH -- December 2, 2025, Boxborough Finance Committee flags $724,960 excluded-debt discrepancy in FY26 tax rate filing. Chair Tony Newton presented a side-by-side comparison of the committee's levy model against figures the interim town assessor submitted to the state Department of Revenue, finding the levy and levy limit ended FY26 only about $150,000 apart, far closer than modeled, potentially because excluded debt of $724,960, confirmed by Finance Director Hong-Hua Lee from the state Gateway system, may not have been incorporated in the assessor's tax classification form. The Select Board voted to accept the committee's two-budget FY27 framework without modification, targeting up to 5.5 percent growth under Budget A (override passes) and under 2 percent under Budget B, though internal disagreement over the 5.5 percent target persists and a 20 percent projected healthcare cost increase threatens to consume most of that headroom. First FY27 budget drafts are expected at the December 16 Finance Committee meeting. Fire Station Building Committee representative Newton reported the candidate site list has been narrowed to three properties, 984 Mass Ave, 1300 Mass Ave, and 72 Stowe Road, with acquisition costs ranging from $1.2 million to $4.5 million and a March 9, 2026 special town meeting targeted for a property purchase and design-funding ask.