By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — It’s March and that means the annual review of the town’s finances has begun. Over the next several weeks, the financial status of what is being forecasted as a difficult year will be examined under a microscope.
Starting this past Monday night the first group of department heads on the municipal side of the docket were given an opportunity to pitch the needs and wants of their departments to the Select Board and members of the Finance Committee. Making their presentations were Elder Services, CPC, Conservation, Town Clerk, Parks and Recreation, Library, Veterans, Youth Services and Public Services Administration.
Another group of department heads will make their presentations at the next meeting on Monday, March 17 and the series will be wrapped up on Monday, March 31 when the Police, Fire and DPW departments will present their budgets. The order of presentations is being done in reverse. In past years, the board would kick off the process on the first Saturday morning in March to meet with the Police, Fire and DPW, but due in the interest of giving the public the same opportunity participate in the process, it was changed this year to an evening presentation.
Next Monday night, March 10 in the DLL at NRHS, the School Committee will hold its preliminary budget hearing.
Department heads will also be meeting with the Finance Committee. In between all these meetings, the town’s Financial Planning Team will also be reviewing the budgets in preparation for the annual Town Meeting on Monday, June 9.
The difficulties of the upcoming budget season are well known given the failure of the Proposition 2 1/2 override vote last year, the large capital expenses the town is facing, and the well-publicized financial strains at the state level.
Town Administrator Michael Gilleberto and Finance Director Laurianne Galvin will make their budget recommendations to the Select Board in mid-April.
The budget details submitted by the department heads total 320 pages and will be posted on the town’s website. The dates of future public workshops and webinars with Financial Planning Team and various department heads have yet to be announced, but multiple opportunities will be offered again this year to give the public the information they need to make an informed decision in three months at Town Meeting. So stay tuned and sharpen your pencils; it’s going to be a bumpy ride.