[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6080287,"mediaKeyId","2948604-3e0e001f8ca60d07a455449bb8ad980a","parentId",2948604,"title","Millis Finance Committee hears FY26 revenue update; town budgets rise 6% with new positions and benefit costs","audioSeconds",1174,"startMs",2103000,"endMs",3277000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2948604-3e0e001f8ca60d07a455449bb8ad980a&start=2103&end=3277","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2948604-3e0e001f8ca60d07a455449bb8ad980a/thumbnail_2103000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6080287/Massachusetts/Millis-Finance-Committee-hears-FY26-revenue-update-town-budgets-rise-6-with-new-positions-and-benefit-costs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080287-0579685631a6c589bac2acd714016f8f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771024090&Signature=f0FEJMxEwhVmuiMPUYP7TOXyXylUNj~lRwnwnd2BbjCuCTWiqgXIYFgNvX-k6~Dt-vDubtxFjxPGBv-98MjHI6ucvWxi5V3HO7qK6cPaje0Ny59XHqfD35iT2Es~CEoHKe7oc9VqOCg2OumKOiKBwZxiOJSWRQ7mVSDYgRAZtdDH2qoBoB7LyaYcQAhkw83KXVC3mOJyUj1w2pw2aUFbr5LHh5Uab7ep1YahvrpEYlr9Y-wyv0sMP~JVi4FTd4vrWq59celp4ZvWCuP5IQUciq6pkmFHYagtoxs7tITo72fT8SXHcqIDOdY7yETTmTmcqHel9FWz9NfdgQq0RQJdxQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Millis, MA","date","2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","article","The Millis Finance Committee received a broad FY26 revenue and budget overview on April 9 showing municipal and school budgets that rise roughly 6 percent, built to include recently ratified collective bargaining contracts and higher benefit costs.

Town staff told the committee that the FY26 package includes a 6 percent funding level for the school department — described as level‑service plus about $72,342 — and a comparable 6 percent increase for municipal departments. The budget assumes all five collective bargaining agreements have been ratified and built into the FY26 figures, and committee members were told there are no planned layoffs tied to this budget.

On personnel and services, staff said the municipal budget includes funding for a full‑time highway laborer in the Department of Public Works, an increase of five weekly hours for the IT director and 2.5 hours for the recreation director. Staff also described a planned overhaul of human resources staffing (separate article) and said monies have been identified to add two full‑time HR positions, upgrade a benefits administrator to an HR generalist and add an 18‑hour‑per‑week department assistant. The select board supported adding the HR positions for FY26 and staff said start‑up equipment and other one‑time costs will be absorbed this year; any adjustments would be considered at the fall town meeting if needed.

Finance staff reported the town’s new growth estimate for FY26 is $600,000 and that state aid is expected to remain essentially flat; the presentation noted that Chapter 70 and other state reimbursements have been relatively stagnant for the past decade and do not keep pace with local inflationary pressures. The town is taking a conservative view on new growth while monitoring several active but slower projects.

The presentation noted benefit and pension cost pressure: the town’s health insurance renewal and Norfolk County retirement assessment produced notable increases. Staff reported an approximate 9.28 percent increase budgeted for employee benefits overall; the Norfolk County pension assessment rose roughly 11 percent for the coming year and the town’s GIC health‑insurance increase was reported near 11 percent. The town said it intends to study options this summer, including a potential health‑insurance opt‑out/buyout discussion with unions and a review of alternative carriers.

On revenue sources and reserves, staff said FY26 does not rely on free cash to support recurring operations. Instead the budget includes earmarked HCA/Cannabis Community Impact funds ($182,909) for specific items and uses a conservative approach to local receipts (5‑ and 10‑year averages) when estimating non‑tax revenues. Free cash and stabilization remain part of the town’s longer‑term fiscal planning.

Committee members asked about enterprise and reserve funds and were told the sewer, water and stormwater enterprise budgets were still being finalized and would be available before the select board’s next meeting. Finance staff also described transfers from the ambulance revolving account used to support fire personnel costs; the presentation listed transfers from ambulance receivables near $957,673 in FY26 to cover certain fire department salaries and staffing costs. Staff provided historical ambulance‑revenue figures for FY21–FY25 showing an upward trend in receipts.

Board members and staff discussed capital and warrant articles (see separate summary). No formal vote was taken by the finance committee on FY26 totals at the April 9 session; the committee is scheduled to review final recommendations ahead of town meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Millis, MA - Finance Committee 4/9/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Millis Finance Committee members were briefed April 9 on the Town of Millis’s FY26 revenue picture and budget proposals showing both municipal and school budgets rising about 6 percent, with additional staffing, higher benefit costs and conservative revenue estimates.","taxTitle","Town of Millis, Norfolk County, Massachusetts","taxId",54409,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6080292,"Tri‑County projects $140 million bond sale, says Millis assessment to rise after enrollment jump",1681,176000,1857000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2948604-3e0e001f8ca60d07a455449bb8ad980a&start=176&end=1857","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2948604-3e0e001f8ca60d07a455449bb8ad980a/thumbnail_176000.jpg","/articles/6080292/Massachusetts/TriCounty-projects-140-million-bond-sale-says-Millis-assessment-to-rise-after-enrollment-jump","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080292-ea094c1d0d920d9dd0f9312a99f0fbc2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771024090&Signature=oMr~lrazfMug3LkAF14gzwBQ9iRUWsDXopl7sPapM5ZlmU4EEuW7f9pLVBH6aKRr4XyZUudmBXs5gdQ8FOh97pHfgH3M5hH3zVwyN8ltLIR3I7d3MVlz4jsnc1kWSgdFT7O476lM9fTTT0NeTgYHNWHkStqMFNQHiOVfiOIwqK7O-HsjMBRWxRVrP60lRotIuMQuPG5MsPw-5~SHYuVIX8o9ckXKIUk~wxfbr2gomQ3hQ95Ww9dnAMLaibRHhCfcQVYrDDxZ5vziXz~ZT2-dYd~Tza4lGtnBAFcHOm1-1~HbN1V-IUZsX42KX7qDm~d94B7X2uXW9koG3l9P2LHuRA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Karen McGuire, superintendent of the Tri‑County Regional Vocational Technical High School, and Dan Haines, the district’s school business manager, briefed the Millis Finance Committee on April 9 about this year’s Chapter 70 apportionment, a recently completed bond sale and implications for Millis’s share of the regional assessment.

The Tri‑County presentation matters to Millis because the district’s required contribution to net school spending will rise after the district’s ninth‑grade cohort grew by 11 students; the state’s Chapter 70 formula increased Millis’s Tri‑County assessment by $213,047, the presenters said. McGuire and Haines also told the committee that the district sold school bonds in January and will begin debt service in fiscal 2026, which is the primary driver of a larger assessment to member towns.

At the meeting Haines said the district sold $140,000,000 in school bonds on Jan. 7, 2025, receiving a true interest cost of about 3.99 percent and a premium that reduced the amount the district will pay back. “We had a low bid of the true interest cost of 3.9899. That included a premium of $3,400,000,” Haines said, explaining that bond premium must be added into the debt and that the structure yields a projected savings versus earlier estimates. Tri‑County’s published debt service for the district on the presentation was $8,520,053; the district apportioned the per‑pupil debt share to member communities when calculating assessments.

Haines and McGuire explained how the district used excess E and D (excess and deficiency) fund balance certified at the end of fiscal 2024 to reduce the assessment for fiscal 2026. Haines said the certified excess E and D balance was about $2,108,004, roughly $936,000 above the statutory 5 percent threshold; the school committee applied roughly $1.5 million of E and D to lower member town assessments for the coming year.

Tri‑County officials also reviewed enrollment trends and the new building. McGuire said the district’s student cap will remain 1,000 students in the new facility and that overall Tri‑County is seeing more applicants than seats in most member towns this year. Haines summarized Tri‑County’s allocation method: seats are apportioned by each town’s share of district enrollment, and unused seats are redistributed using that same proportional method. McGuire said that, as of early April, approximately 28 applications had come from Millis for the incoming year, and that initial acceptances had just been mailed.

On construction, McGuire said the project experienced delays related to site issues and conservation permitting; the district removed a solar array and negotiated how to handle runoff and wetlands concerns. She said construction is “mucky” and muddy but moving forward and that steel fabrication is in process. The district still anticipates opening the new building in September 2027.

Tri‑County leaders also described state legislative work that could affect future project costs: McGuire and Haines said vocational school building reimbursement through the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) is currently lower than what vocational districts believe is needed, and regional legislators have filed bills asking for higher reimbursement for vocational projects (Tri‑County representatives described a proposed 80 percent vocational reimbursement). The presenters said those bills were referred to the Legislature’s education and ways and means committees and that they would notify Millis town staff and leaders when committee hearing dates are set.

The presentation included district finance details — enrollment counts, Chapter 70 aid increases, transportation aid and local revenue items — and a question‑and‑answer period with members of the Millis Finance Committee and local school committee members. No formal vote or town action was taken at the finance committee meeting; Tri‑County’s materials were presented for information ahead of Millis’s annual town meeting and warrant deliberations.

The Tri‑County materials the district distributed and referenced at the meeting are available on the district and TriCountyBuilding.com project pages, and the district said it will circulate legislative hearing notices for MSBA‑related bills to the towns when they are scheduled.","Tri‑County School leaders told the Millis Finance Committee that a $140 million bond sale and the district’s student enrollment increase will push the town’s assessment up; the district applied excess “E and D” funds to lower the near‑term debt impact and expects the new Tri‑County building to open in September 2027.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6080277,"Finance committee preview: Tri‑County debt, building repairs fund and town property list on the annual warrant",546,6674000,7220000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2948604-3e0e001f8ca60d07a455449bb8ad980a&start=6674&end=7220","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2948604-3e0e001f8ca60d07a455449bb8ad980a/thumbnail_6674000.jpg","/articles/6080277/Massachusetts/Finance-committee-preview-TriCounty-debt-building-repairs-fund-and-town-property-list-on-the-annual-warrant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080277-91dd39e5565e89025834fabefeaf6965/orig.mp4?Expires=1771024090&Signature=AZG-5IHybuE4k1t0HvT7IH1ypJ84gOJWMktwR0N0wEPC6piYJtElpzjOnhJr3R94jU7aMw0AYqWlMrWWCTMte9Tc92A-8OpT8xKVQQ9M0K27mgeqh6C3VZW8KPTrG2zDlwDimHBbQd-mCegdNbTQMPeKvzRG2REA~PgN8S9swnKDSXhmS9-Y9odblTHZEBdDlE8enWlEyrjZ~4ebdmYRbtnm08ZfeSJVS4drO3usli0vdWx3Mtf5RewWAu3CJ92-StK7zQLqYrNmMOkcpN2urJBNQxURlIzde-ZBsRjJvmlaGZn64ofgmtFIS2gfUSpLmUGNeJpbBtPdxz2MCnKNFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Millis Finance Committee reviewed several notable articles that will appear on the town’s upcoming annual meeting warrant, including proposals to apply free cash toward Tri‑County debt, to create a rolling building‑repairs fund, and to place dozens of small, town‑owned parcels up for disposition.

Town staff explained Article 10 (Tri‑County debt payment) would apply previously set aside free cash to cover a portion of the district’s assessed debt this year; staff said the amount applied will reduce the near‑term assessment to member towns and that the town aims to stretch available resources to postpone broader funding decisions for several years. Staff said the approach should carry the town through multiple fiscal years before seeking other funding alternatives or an override, depending on future conditions.

Article 11 proposes a $300,000 building‑repairs fund intended to cover unanticipated, high‑cost repairs to older municipal buildings (town hall, middle/high school and other facilities). The finance director and select board discussed past episodes in which one‑off building failures required reserve‑fund transfers or urgent repairs; the new fund is intended to permit more timely repairs and reduce frequent requests for emergency transfer authority.

Town staff also circulated Article 50, a list of small tax‑title and unneeded municipal parcels recommended for sale or disposition. The list includes many parcels under a quarter‑acre in size and a few parcels with values in the low‑tens of thousands of dollars. Staff said the goal is to return underused property to the tax rolls and to reduce town maintenance responsibilities.

Planning and zoning items on the warrant include FEMA flood‑map updates and related zoning changes required by state and federal mapping updates. Staff and committee members discussed the need for a brief planning‑board presentation to the finance committee to explain the flood‑map and zoning language before town meeting; the planning board had been asked to review the maps and provide a recommendation.

The select board and finance committee will continue to refine warrant language and funding sources ahead of the annual meeting. No formal committee votes on articles were recorded at the April 9 session; the finance committee will finalize recommendations before the warrant is posted.","At the April 9 meeting the finance committee reviewed major warrant articles to be considered at the annual meeting, including a free‑cash set‑aside for Tri‑County debt, a newly proposed building repairs fund, and a compilation of small town‑owned parcels recommended for disposition.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6080282,"Millis proposes new HR department and personnel plan changes amid rising benefit costs",267,6157000,6424000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2948604-3e0e001f8ca60d07a455449bb8ad980a&start=6157&end=6424","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2948604-3e0e001f8ca60d07a455449bb8ad980a/thumbnail_6157000.jpg","/articles/6080282/Massachusetts/Millis-proposes-new-HR-department-and-personnel-plan-changes-amid-rising-benefit-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080282-27736321e42aa5f67986f4297eb9ba90/orig.mp4?Expires=1771024090&Signature=WumegS0dVL-En7wjvDjGGK9aiAxzgRsnTciO8hMcf5GbTEobtLDBJrsIV5BsZbSSu7AhXvJSk6sk6ZSexaq6L6U32ENWBBAzMOqLXSj8QktqTxsczeBftyGjn8RNKbrtIwYrc-sDASM3SEjKpe0JsypEMe54CWixbpDUTBjZiiw8GQwPWdmdCrb8aUmXmvDcBDPnR-MeQhvMMpIWNCTLGzTIQfFumr3WxmMKqHMUPce8rUprNSPbghByarEjKaewjm1~iVKFiTZXiQLFxnG1FY6FzWxjwsVfWwRhq~YZpzvkjlQMVXAkjTl1bjCPdiX7xUcA49ftBtVEWGAfREJRJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Town administrators and the select board told the Millis Finance Committee on April 9 that they intend to create a human resources department in FY26 to centralize employee administration, benefits management and public‑records work.

The select board recommended the HR reorganization as part of the FY26 personnel plan. The proposal presented to the finance committee would add two full‑time positions (an HR director and an HR generalist), upgrade the current municipal benefits administrator position to an HR generalist, and add an 18‑hour‑per‑week departmental assistant at the school to cover administrative workload. Meeting materials indicate start‑up equipment and one‑time costs will be absorbed in current budgets for FY26 and that any additional expenses could be considered at the fall town meeting if needed.

Town staff explained the change as a response to growing workload and compliance demands. The presentation said public‑records request volume has risen from a few per month to multiple requests per week and that managing, triaging and producing those requests has become a significant time sink for multiple departments. To address that workload, the personnel plan includes a $5,200 annual stipend for the public records officer.

Other personnel plan adjustments recommended to align municipal non‑union pay with recent union contracts include standardizing step increases to a 2.5 percent step, removing the current step 1 and adding a new final step (step 10) that mirrors recently ratified union language, increasing longevity payments by $100 steps where applicable, adjusting bereavement leave language (adding grandchild and domestic partner, expanding immediate‑family bereavement from three to five days), and granting a 2.5 percent cost‑of‑living adjustment to positions covered by the plan.

During the meeting some finance committee members questioned priorities — for example whether a new HR department should compete with hiring additional public‑safety or field staff — and several members said they wanted to see details about recurring HR costs (equipment, software, subscriptions) and how the role would produce savings. Town staff said they expect the HR positions to improve contract and benefits administration, reduce liability and to find savings in the medium term through purchasing and benefits management; staff said they would absorb one‑time start‑up costs in FY26 and monitor operations thereafter.

The personnel plan and HR reorganization were recommended by the select board to the finance committee for review ahead of town meeting. The finance committee will consider final recommendations in advance of the annual town meeting; no formal committee vote was recorded on April 9.","Select board and finance staff recommended creating a town human resources department for FY26 to manage hiring, benefits and public records requests; the personnel plan also includes step changes, a 2.5% COLA for non‑union positions and a stipend proposal for the public records officer.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Millis Finance Committee hears FY26 revenue update; town budgets rise 6% with new positions and benefit costs

Tri‑County projects $140 million bond sale, says Millis assessment to rise after enrollment jump

Finance committee preview: Tri‑County debt, building repairs fund and town property list on the annual warrant

Millis proposes new HR department and personnel plan changes amid rising benefit costs