The Marion Finance Committee, at the January 7 meeting in the Town House Annex, planned out a schedule for review of the Fiscal 2027 budget.
Finance Director Heather O’Brien noted that many department-drafted budgets, including the school budget, have been received. She expressed optimism that by this week she will have received all drafts. She also said that she will have completed initial meetings with department heads by mid-January.
Finance Committee Chair Sean Healy said that the Finance Committee will meet with department heads between February 2 and March 18. Committee members went over their individual schedules to determine which dates would work.
Some committee members asked if the committee would have time to review and vote on non-departmental money items that will appear on the annual Town Meeting warrant in the spring.
Healy said that the Finance Committee has been charged with submitting recommendations by March 31, so there should be time to review the entire warrant and make a formal recommendation.
Healy tentatively recommended March 25 or March 26 and optimal meeting dates for an entire warrant review for Fiscal 2027, which begins on July 1.
In recent years, town officials have called for fiscal restraint and maintaining a level-services budget, which calls for around a 2% increase from the previous year.
Marion Finance Committee
By Jeffrey D. Wagner