FM #1438 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1438 in the series.
This session shares the Finance Committee meeting conducted Thursday, May 1, 2025. 7 members of the Committee participated, 6 in Council Chambers, 1 remote (Hamilton), 1 absent (Nagel) for the last of the series of Budget Hearings for FY 2026. This session covered the General government line items and led to the series of recommending votes.
Quick recap
Up for review tonight were the General government departments, many of them much smaller than the Police, FIRE, DPW, and Schools covered previously but all key to Town services.
Recreation pays for itself with fee revenue from servicing 7200 kids with 3 full time personnel
Library just above the minimum required by State legislation not revised since it was enabled over 100 years ago
Town Clerk's office runs the annual census, dog licenses, registrations, and this year 2 elections; the special override election June 3 and the local election in November (Town Council, School Cmte and other elected positions, including this year the Town Clerk).
Senior Center has a minimal expense budget most of it is personnel and a good portion of it is covered by fee revenue or grants. Still working on how to fine tune it, won't likely get to the fee supported status of the Recreation Dept. May 15 ribbon cutting for the van and gazebo at the Senior Center (10 AM)
Resolutions for approval - all passed by same 7-0-1 (1 absent) roll call vote
Resolution 25-20: Recommendation of FY2026 Budget
Resolution 25-21: Salary Schedule: Full-Time Elected Official
Resolution 25-22: Expenditure Limits for FY2026 on Departmental Revolving Funds Established by Franklin Town Code Chapter 73, as Provided in MGL Chapter 44, §53E½, as Amended
Resolution 25-23: Snow and Ice Transfer of Funds
Resolution 25-24: Appropriation and Transfer of Funds from Water Enterprise Fund Retained Earnings to Water Line Project
The meeting runs 2 hours and 28 minutes, so let’s listen in. Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1438-tof-finance-cmte-mtg-budget-hearing-3-05-01-25/
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Franklin TV video is available for replay -> https://www.youtube.com/live/C5g8YGdpTmI?&t=430
The agenda and released documents for this session -> https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05012025-1710
My notes in one PDF -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LFcbiY2E14_zoCwZHMOjuSOpnIaaUM1J/view?usp=drive_link
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The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.
I hope you enjoy!
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