[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6360997,"mediaKeyId","2171633-b61a1dfd16dbabe69b55ccd48961cafe","parentId",2171633,"title","Charlton finance staff: special act cleared for fire station property; town faces FY26 tradeoffs despite near‑term budget room","audioSeconds",3293,"startMs",3472000,"endMs",6765000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171633-b61a1dfd16dbabe69b55ccd48961cafe&start=3472&end=6765","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171633-b61a1dfd16dbabe69b55ccd48961cafe/thumbnail_3472000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6360997/Town-of-Charlton/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Charlton-finance-staff-special-act-cleared-for-fire-station-property-town-faces-FY26-tradeoffs-despite-nearterm-budget-room","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6360997-b3edf0b57248f4d1ed2122082f6c5fe4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448310&Signature=GhZECYt3wMfu0Ae56kQDZi-zkFKaTxK7C8gdGDL6dX64pX3BVU69j2X~zN~BrzgOR2wxw013gGluyXBQMikKFe66EPL4V~fuQpyHVS9OYXEhxvBo2WwmzixXKvUKBdxZdJo2qmuVtaOZl3CpXaktTDGqa15Ljwz5ZAocA-5SecWeJV40l363r6e7pzsHKvvPbI-HGU9E8x3jd0d2fMie5G9wQ2WEECXTXmuaRALJz1j3T39ptgp3uu2BkpwbgbzVCHpmyhKv8hAPbC0z44GcFVr7Ni2BZEP5wRTJyLvJwhQcK4Is-f4r6qemQcqYJYJsIuvryx1LKkN6bRtWCUHKSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Charlton, MA","date","2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","article","Town finance staff briefed the Finance Committee on near‑term budget issues including a citizen petition to change the town clerk position to appointed (a single‑warrant special town meeting is set for Feb. 18 to consider the petition), the recent legislative step that allows the town to acquire property for a new fire station, and longer‑term debt and revenue considerations that will shape FY26 planning.

Town staff said the governor signed the special legislative act authorizing the property purchase on Jan. 8, clearing a key legal step for the fire station project. The town administrator said the project schedule anticipates ground breaking in spring and an approximate construction timeline of 18 months.

On revenues, Finance Director Andrew described a recent period of unusually large commercial and industrial tax base additions — including a finished Amazon facility and other industrial assessments — that temporarily increased the town’s non‑residential share of the tax levy. He panelled that residential average tax burden has been partially offset by industrial growth in recent years.

Still, staff cautioned that the current near‑term budget position — which shows modest excess levy capacity for FY26 if all department requests are included — is not likely to repeat. Andrew said personnel requests across departments produce a net staffing cost impact in the order of $514,000 if all requests were funded, and warned that capital projects including the new fire station and possible landfill cap borrowing will raise debt service in subsequent years.

Staff proposed a conservative approach to revenue forecasting and asked the committee to prioritize personnel requests because the town’s ability to sustain recurring increases is sensitive to multiyear revenue assumptions. They also described a town effort to centralize municipal facility maintenance and utility allocations to reduce duplicate line‑item charges across departments.

The committee was told the FY26 projected inside‑levy debt service tied to the fire station would be about $320,000 and that interest on the excluded portion was estimated at roughly $487,000 in a model presented. Staff emphasized timing and the need to align borrowing plans with other capital priorities.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town of Charlton: Finance Committee Meeting January 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Finance Director and town administrator updated the Finance Committee on a citizen petition, industrial tax base growth, the governor’s recent signing of a special legislative act enabling fire station property acquisition, and the FY26 budget tradeoffs posed by multiple personnel requests and pending contract increases.","taxTitle","Town of Charlton, Worcester County, Massachusetts","taxId",54464,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6361002,"Old Home Day organizers ask the town for more support after rising costs; committee seeks fiscal detail",1110,3244000,4354000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171633-b61a1dfd16dbabe69b55ccd48961cafe&start=3244&end=4354","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171633-b61a1dfd16dbabe69b55ccd48961cafe/thumbnail_3244000.jpg","/articles/6361002/Town-of-Charlton/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Old-Home-Day-organizers-ask-the-town-for-more-support-after-rising-costs-committee-seeks-fiscal-detail","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6361002-41dc20ba959d5dc326ff77167271fb30/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448310&Signature=GwNtkwD0S8L~UiwslNS8qdVKiaFvPOWWe2NJwGK~ji0yKI7-WofehiIEXZRx1dvkvy~W4Ep8i8~iXTR1IZtLyp~vzY0Du9eVD1pUVvR2chCd~J8BrY6KYAM1aU3Wck-kBsgfuvYwr8pCnioVQ3~1ADlzC1omtb2y5P3ZncOxBnyZJXI9d-UY9~cc8KxxDcuCPrR8IKje2-O~~SAFkSMfiZ2nEFdaG7fz6~93zmkkdE83oS9LzO2sKuBYVfZpjHTUz8tkapL5qlZMuwA7a0vFGZSBsxaBT1Fg8gpqsmb8jB~IGSkW0YvUkOWcsQ-DQUjl06vHrBD7M77mWqH3ePJaSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Diane Doherty, chair of the Recreation Commission, and Mike Lally, Old Home Day organizer, presented the recreation budget and a funding request for Old Home Day to the Finance Committee. Lally said last year’s event expenses totaled about $27,800 and asked the town to provide increased support so the committee need not rely so heavily on private donations.

Lally provided an itemized run‑down of significant expenses from the prior year, including a pyrotechnics deposit and final payment (the meeting record listed a large fireworks line that has fluctuated year‑to‑year), rental fees for party equipment, bands and entertainment stipends and trophies. He said the committee secures additional contributions from private donors each year but that fund‑raising is increasingly difficult: “It would be nice to be able to go out at the beginning of the year and get what we want and give a nice presentation for the town on Old Home Day,” Lally said.

The committee and town staff discussed the logistics of event‑related police details and volunteer availability. The police chief and committee earlier noted that some event costs — police details, road closures and related public safety coverage — currently are absorbed by the police budget; the chief argued for consistent event commitments to reduce last‑minute overtime charges.

Finance Committee members asked for a full balance sheet showing last year’s expenses, donations and the net amount raised so members could consider a town contribution. One committee member suggested a compromise: a partial town appropriation — for example $18,000 — with the committee continuing to raise the remainder privately. Lally said additional town support would reduce the committee’s year‑round fundraising burden and allow planning farther in advance.

The Recreation Commission also noted a small technical correction in its supplies budget for portable toilets tied to new pickleball/tennis use at the middle school and confirmed the Memorial Day line remains small and largely unused if no group formally requests funds.

The Finance Committee did not vote on a funding amount; members asked for the Old Home Day committee to supply a detailed statement of receipts and expenses to inform a possible allocation.","The Old Home Day committee requested town funding to reduce reliance on private fundraising after reporting roughly $27,800 in event expenses last year; the Finance Committee asked for an itemized account and discussed a middle ground for town support.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6361006,"Water and sewer boards report steady operating budgets; Veolia contract and insurance hikes raise sewer costs",287,2863000,3150000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171633-b61a1dfd16dbabe69b55ccd48961cafe&start=2863&end=3150","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171633-b61a1dfd16dbabe69b55ccd48961cafe/thumbnail_2863000.jpg","/articles/6361006/Town-of-Charlton/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Water-and-sewer-boards-report-steady-operating-budgets-Veolia-contract-and-insurance-hikes-raise-sewer-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6361006-1bd6c9ddf8fc5fc2ec697666601ef42c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448310&Signature=iPtoCfRvHGA5jrBrXxt99ldU4L1YLjemG1bwkFD0EUghv-NfgacjoVZf9h7aZ2FbqIIn5BeSWhcR4HSBSgpgutbLTMOPZqpBvrtyoLzcNz-PI7a6t6t1-qR~hBSUxdas~i0z25bQml4Kthg0o7J3o4Z3kGWJgg1JtlnUJcY3-ts2HrZN4l3H8m7ZlYgLiCeouewH97KzcrsRiWrZbEqvNQ-NgDwZBdORDEDCmxPHcujaasH3YTjAQmFQXs-XEIu4yTYWc9BqLPTD1DeMLidS1SecOJiiZy2zlKRWopQmDbkGqrXKN4Bs8KSkRjfteokwArEvOusgBa~3HVufJYXXRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cheryl Savivas, a member of the Town of Charlton Water & Sewer board, told the Finance Committee that the water budget is largely level‑funded for the coming year and that post‑project staffing has left only a small split of employee OPEB exposure between the two funds.

On sewer, Savivas said maintenance equipment costs rose and that the Veolia North America annual operations contract increased about 3.5 percent. “Sewer is mainly the maintenance equipment expense…except for the Veolia annual contract because the contract went up 3 and a half percent,” Savivas said.

Committee members pressed for detail on the 12 percent rise in maintenance expenses; Savivas attributed this to replacement parts, lab testing and other operation and maintenance increases as the plant age‑related work continues.

Savivas also said that a prior under‑allocation of general insurance costs to the sewer fund had been corrected. That reallocation produced a one‑time jump in the sewer budget’s insurance line; the board reported the correction showed an approximately 71 percent increase in the line because previously those expenses were not consistently charged to the sewer account.

The board said Veolia’s contract is multi‑year and that some of the recent increase reflects partial‑year alignment after a November contract start. The board does not propose major staffing changes in water; the sewer budget reflects maintenance needs and warranty/parts cost escalation.

The Finance Committee asked staff to provide a clear line‑item breakdown of the maintenance increases and to document the Veolia contract term and scheduled increases so members can assess whether the changes are recurring.","Town of Charlton water and sewer officials told the Finance Committee overall revenue and operating lines are roughly level; sewer maintenance costs and a 3.5% Veolia contract increase plus corrected insurance allocations produced the largest budget changes.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6361010,"Charlton police ask for two staff additions, outline strain from Amazon calls and animal control expenses",2382,390000,2772000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171633-b61a1dfd16dbabe69b55ccd48961cafe&start=390&end=2772","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171633-b61a1dfd16dbabe69b55ccd48961cafe/thumbnail_390000.jpg","/articles/6361010/Town-of-Charlton/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Charlton-police-ask-for-two-staff-additions-outline-strain-from-Amazon-calls-and-animal-control-expenses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6361010-736b0a0c335ea36a6b2ec8aae1a1da1b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448310&Signature=oXk5iPXdBs~J2ngbkiUBlrlmxTwhtMymI99QPGwZ4bGdH5ZJSqmxgJpI4JAbioMJcpGEgmH4tq9P1KtqsgOgmQNr6ELTOXXuHV-yDhoOschdX4y1vAsDdfmQSW5i7fwAnn4VQNixvFprBx9-xa2S7wnax6DlOVVHwgUk6FRQ0dC2RTRN-2c0al90Pm0JoRwKzxo~K22j6WodPovC6IFWZ39TOpLYlGXec-4mHvcVIVgXrjLp~Siptt1ytUtAfPp1Zw4DiniNyCjZPY6WolXzIliBh8YAXqcS00eTekn3puRjHsKSARYWG4pSXEIJVwbMUw5CHUK6I77GLuEEhHP2xg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Police Chief said the department’s FY26 operating request includes two personnel additions — an administrative sergeant and a full‑time dispatcher — and described recurrent operational strains tied to calls at the nearby Amazon facility and to animal control maintenance costs.

The chief told the Finance Committee that the department currently runs some overnight shifts with a single dispatcher and that adding a second full‑time dispatcher would allow two people on duty on a regular schedule. “The days of operating with one dispatcher are just non‑existent,” the Police Chief said, adding that the department now has seven full‑time dispatchers and two part‑time employees and that the additional hire would move staffing toward an eight‑person roster and more reliable 24‑hour coverage.

The chief also described one incident at the Amazon facility that prompted a major multi‑agency response after a radio transmission inside the building was interpreted as a shooting. “A call came from within Amazon on their radio system saying there was a shooting,” the Police Chief said. He told the committee that mutual aid arrived from multiple agencies and that the event prompted a post‑incident review and discussions with Amazon about internal procedures, access to radio recordings, and security practices.

On animal control, the chief said the town’s animal control operation is facing repeated costs to pump a tight tank and to launder animal bedding; he recommended more frequent pumping as a short‑term fix and said a long‑term capital replacement would require engineering and “tens of thousands of dollars.” The department also plans temporary vehicle sharing between the police department and animal control until a replacement van is secured.

The department’s capital priorities in the presentation included license‑plate reader cameras already installed in fixed locations, rifle optics and suppressors, and a record management (CAD/RMS) upgrade the chief said could be accelerated if the town moves toward regional dispatch. The Police Chief warned that PSAP infrastructure is expensive to reacquire: “If you lose a PSAP, it's over $1,000,000 to get it back,” he said while explaining risks and tradeoffs of a potential move to regional dispatch.

Committee members asked for usage and call‑volume data for Amazon responses and pressed the chief on alternatives for animal bedding laundering, on whether the town could seek payment from event organizers for police details, and on the projected costs and timing for vehicle leasing or purchases. The chief said leasing might be suitable for lower‑mileage vehicles but not high‑mileage patrol cars and that supply chain delays have slowed planned vehicle replacements.

The committee did not take a vote on the budget during the presentation and reserved further review for upcoming Finance Committee deliberations.","At a Finance Committee hearing, the police chief requested funding for an administrative sergeant and an additional full‑time dispatcher, cited one high‑profile false shooting report at the nearby Amazon facility and described recurring animal control and vehicle needs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Charlton finance staff: special act cleared for fire station property; town faces FY26 tradeoffs despite near‑term budget room

Old Home Day organizers ask the town for more support after rising costs; committee seeks fiscal detail

Water and sewer boards report steady operating budgets; Veolia contract and insurance hikes raise sewer costs

Charlton police ask for two staff additions, outline strain from Amazon calls and animal control expenses