The upcoming budget override, its amount, and how it would be split between the town and schools, were the primary topics of discussion at the January 23, 2024 Finance Committee and January 29, 2024 Acton Leadership Group meetings.
Of note at the Finance Committee meeting was a presentation by Economic Development Director Julie Pierce and Economic Development Committee member Catherine Usoff. Ms. Pierce noted a television news story featuring Acton art and artists, and described her efforts to support and publicize local businesses, as well as to create a directory of Acton businesses. Ms. Usoff described activities following the approval of Article 36 (creation of an economic development plan) at the 2023 Acton Town Meeting, such as facilitating interactions between businesses and Town government. A variety of questions from the Finance Committee were answered in detail. The presentation is available online.
The Finance Committee reviewed Town Manager John Mangiaratti’s revised budget proposal made at the January 22 Select Board meeting, and contrasted the approach taken with the Town vs. the School Committee’s budget. In preparation for the January 29, 2024 Acton Leadership Group (ALG) meeting, the Finance Committee discussed the School Committee alternate budgets, the average single family home tax burden, what the Committee’s consensus for the ALG meeting would be, and how to publicize financial issues before the upcoming Town election.
The ALG met January 29, 2024 on a snowy morning and many participants were connected remotely. Acton-Boxborough Regional School District (ABRSD) Superintendent Peter Light and Acton Town Manager John Mangiaratti gave updates, not announcing any major changes. Much of the meeting focused on the financial models that are used and maintained by the ALG, among them the prediction of the property tax impact of a range of override amounts.
The role of the ALG is to coordinate and find consensus among its representatives. The various representatives agreed to take an override amount of $6.6 million back to their groups. Notably, how that amount – if passed by the electorate – would be split between the Town and the ABRSD was explicitly left open. ALG facilitator Bart Wendell characterized consensus as when no one is happy, the alternatives are unacceptable, and no one can walk away. The meeting closed with an agreement to meet again on February 12, 2024.
Tom Beals is a volunteer reporter from Acton.
