[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6573585,"mediaKeyId","3173691-61b94cd629133d03499ece8b7446b9b3","parentId",3173691,"title","Braintree projects $175.7 million in operating revenue for FY2026; council warned of out‑year gaps and revenue risks","audioSeconds",1568,"startMs",668000,"endMs",2236000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3173691-61b94cd629133d03499ece8b7446b9b3&start=668&end=2236","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3173691-61b94cd629133d03499ece8b7446b9b3/thumbnail_668000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6573585/Town-of-Braintree/Norfolk-County/Massachusetts/Braintree-projects-1757-million-in-operating-revenue-for-FY2026-council-warned-of-outyear-gaps-and-revenue-risks","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6573585-8bcfd3e15117746c4da608e71e00717d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138521&Signature=LOnaLOOHyg9yH4QUfAa0yc1CuAFW7TVkTCOlFT2vaUq3AvkFJ26RPbcI~pkUZ~79esvxvlguD-C7wpP1sqIPELTDeAVegR8WvnV3~8ckgc8FDGL9LANyeJhQWNuFEwXG1JT0t2SLo0Xi4A10P~AEBe7P3BiOWTuoJqWzJ8XsBwLGZoTvkuXNeuA98WU8Ow0XOTrZG9SocRSsP-7smeJEdqEmT-ndf1YfD~JfcUZIWZZEVK7Mr3LVNGP2IFvOHmsk0MjaBsSsYN1aMkObi2sB-ily1V-if9b07EbKdyq0Fh863gK~CkTU6js-ZlAuvByv-2x23zEmFSu5HLxss1Zq5Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Braintree, MA","date","2025-05-02T00:00:00Z","article","Braintree’s Committee of Ways and Means heard an overview of the mayor’s FY2026 revenue forecast on Thursday, May 1, in which Finance Director Mike Esmond said the town is budgeting $175.7 million in operating revenues and expects base revenue growth of about 3.2% excluding free cash.

The revenue forecast, Esmond told the panel, assumes roughly $3.9 million in year‑over‑year new tax levy revenue tied to Proposition 2½ growth and new growth, and a budgeted new‑growth assumption of $800,000 for FY2026. “We feel that the $800,000 forecast is a good approximation,” Esmond said, noting building permit trends through March that support the estimate.

Why it matters: the revenue picture will determine how departments are funded in FY2026 and whether the town needs to propose further revenue measures or program cuts in later years. Esmond and the auditor emphasized that state aid remains uncertain and that one‑time sources used in FY2025 should not be assumed recurring.

Key fiscal items and assumptions

- Operating revenues: $175,700,000 forecast for FY2026, described by Esmond as the town’s operating revenue baseline.

- Base revenue growth: about 3.2% year over year when excluding the use of free cash from FY2025.

- Tax levy and new growth: Esmond said the tax levy forecast yields about $3.9 million in new levy capacity for FY2026 reflecting Proposition 2½ (the normal 2½% growth plus measured new growth). The budget includes an $800,000 new‑growth assumption for FY2026.

- State aid: the budget assumes essentially flat net local aid (about 0.1% growth) in the mayor’s submitted numbers; Esmond noted House 1 proposed larger increases but state assessments and charges (notably charter school tuition) reduce the net benefit to Braintree. “If House 1 were to be the final number…we could be getting less local aid than the prior year,” Esmond said, adding the final state budget remains subject to conference committee action.

- Local receipts: overall projected growth from FY2025 is roughly 6%. The single largest local‑receipt driver called out in the presentation was the proposed year‑two increase in the residential trash‑collection fee of $50 (the second of a three‑year schedule), which Esmond said is the largest single contributor to the increase in local receipts.

- Motor‑vehicle excise: Esmond projected $7.5 million for FY2026 and said initial commitment data will likely prompt a modest upward revision.

- Hotel tax and meals tax: Esmond cautioned that hotel tax totals for FY2025 were depressed by the temporary closure of a major hotel after a fire (identified in the presentation as the Hyatt), which he estimated reduced quarterly hotel tax receipts by roughly $100,000 in the third quarter.

- Pilot (payment‑in‑lieu) agreements: the forecast assumes a modest increase (about 5.5%) tied to stepped increases in some longstanding pilot agreements and ongoing negotiations with large payers, including Massport and a utility identified as Beld.

- Investment income: the budget assumes roughly $1.974 million in investment income in FY2026; Esmond said results remain sensitive to federal interest‑rate movements and the town’s mix of short‑ and long‑term vehicles.

- Stormwater debt service: $64,771 in stormwater‑fund debt service tied to bond refunding will be covered in FY2026 by retained earnings from the stormwater fund to hold rates flat this year; Esmond said rates will be revisited in FY2027 alongside upcoming regulatory changes.

Liability, settlements and one‑time items

Esmond summarized the financing for the Weichl settlement and related borrowing. The town issued debt and short‑term notes to cover a roughly $11.9 million financing package tied to costs from that matter; Esmond said the budget does not assume timing of future insurance recoveries and that about $500,000 in net insurance recovery proceeds have been recorded to date. “We will likely recognize them as revenue in fiscal 25, which will...reduce the amount we need to go long to finance the balance,” he said.

Council questions and staff responses

Councilors probed several areas during the Q&A: the volatility of investment income as the Federal Reserve adjusts rates; the high personal‑property valuation captured in FY2025 (Esmond said a dedicated personal‑property valuation engagement produced an unusually large $28.2 million personal‑property growth figure in FY2025 and the $800,000 FY2026 assumption treats that spike as largely nonrecurring); and details behind pilot agreements (Esmond and town auditor Sean McGoldrick said the largest pilots historically are Beld, Massport and the Landing, with McGoldrick offering approximate FY2025 figures during the hearing).

Councilors also urged more systematic tracking of grants. Councilor Maglio said the council lacks a central way to track town grant applications and awards and asked for regular reporting. Esmond and McGoldrick agreed to provide more retrospective grant detail and to invite the town’s grants staff to a future finance hearing.

Out‑year outlook

The presentation included a 3‑ to 4‑year affordability forecast showing projected deficits in FY2027–FY2029 driven by baseline cost growth in schools, benefits and debt service. Esmond said the cumulative deficits remain modest relative to total revenue (he described them as roughly 1.1–1.2% of revenues over the multi‑year window) but stressed the need for continued expenditure discipline and to capture development‑related growth in later years.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of minutes (02/24/2025, 03/04/2025, 03/10/2025): motion made and seconded; recorded as unanimous. (Motion recorded on the transcript as “So moved.” “Second.” “All in favor? — Aye.”)

- Table orders 25018, 25019 and 25020 to May 5: motion to table to May 5 was moved and seconded; recorded as unanimous.

- Adjournment: motion carried unanimously.

What’s next

The Committee of Ways and Means will continue FY2026 budget hearings through May; Esmond and the town auditor are expected to appear at subsequent sessions to present departmental details, debt schedules and any updates on grants, pilot negotiations and state aid.

(Reporting from the Town of Braintree Committee of Ways and Means hearing, May 1, 2025.)","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Braintree Ways and Means 2026 Budget Hearing 5.1.25","oneSentenceSummary","Braintree’s Committee of Ways and Means heard an overview of the mayor’s FY2026 revenue forecast on Thursday, May 1, in which Finance Director Mike Esmond said the town is budgeting $175.7 million in operating revenues and expects base revenue growth of about 3.2% excluding free cash.","taxTitle","Town of Braintree , Norfolk County, Massachusetts","taxId",57175,"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},6573581,"Town council budget reduced again; councilors press for reserve fund and clerk support",614,5362000,5976000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3173691-61b94cd629133d03499ece8b7446b9b3&start=5362&end=5976","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3173691-61b94cd629133d03499ece8b7446b9b3/thumbnail_5362000.jpg","/articles/6573581/Town-of-Braintree/Norfolk-County/Massachusetts/Town-council-budget-reduced-again-councilors-press-for-reserve-fund-and-clerk-support","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6573581-3d6dbd615c63bfe61de6292b7c8d0970/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138521&Signature=JD8SzpgBNePivGHtFqwz5Axnk8cq0c~TC9nTGMujL6R71j1CnExjwZnSu6NzYgw8O4iQNlxKVzKtrBtznjsJWIHe3X9yeRbX1u2BwqcyA8VcRe66tdUZ0YgkNF05EwcpCmYxlEwqSqWUV38XvSi65r0wqs4g7Ilshw1BNxKWu4YD2p5ItzONY7bmhbic9mhWqP1OJ9MkdPNZLXDjYEFPNUqZ4bykhqfAap6bCckik6dBtxvHx~AnX0U2yxGz7zUZxOdFq0eYMLHygDHtCKAoBbMjy6yT7ONIM0OvX9anPOtEAWEhGFT8YX~Ea2oZxtFLe6WOKW1ju3SPoa6Tzy4uCA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the May 1 Ways and Means hearing, Town Council Clerk Kirk Cimino presented the council’s FY2026 budget, which the clerk said is reduced compared with prior years. The clerk’s presentation underscored that the council’s operating budget funds one full‑time clerk, stipends for nine councilors and modest operating items; Cimino said there are no additional dedicated support staff.

Why it matters: Councilors said constrained funding for the council office hampers the body’s ability to perform core functions, provide auditing oversight and respond to emergent needs. Several members said the current funding level is unsustainable and called for restoring a reserve fund and additional staffing.

What the clerk presented

Cimino summarized the council budget as a level‑service request with a net decrease of $17.50 overall. The budget covers the clerk’s salary, councilor stipends, the town auditor contract allocation, required legal advertising, Massachusetts Municipal Association dues and routine office supplies. Cimino said the council’s reserve and consultant funds were reduced to zero in prior years.

Councilor concerns and next steps

Councilors framed the council budget as a governance and democracy issue: Councilor Warren said the council’s capacity to respond to unforeseen events has been “abdicated” by successive budget reductions and said the council must restore a reserve fund and adequate staffing. “This is the last year that this is gonna look like this if I have anything to do with it,” Warren said, adding she will use her committee assignments to pursue changes.

Councilor Maglio noted that Cimino is the sole staff member supporting nine elected members and praised his work while urging stronger support for the office. Councilor Flaherty and others reiterated that the council’s audit and legal review capacity are limited by current funding and that the council’s ability to run elections and other core functions depends on adequate staffing and resources.

Staff response

Cimino and Finance Director Mike Esmond confirmed the budget memo requested level‑service submissions from departments and that the council budget was prepared from the mayoral guidance. Esmond said the administration had asked departments for “above‑level‑service” requests separately and that some departments submitted additional items; however, the council’s submitted budget was largely level service.

What’s next

Councilors said they will pursue hearings and discussions in personnel and finance committee meetings to examine the council office budget and seek options for a reserve fund and additional staffing. The Committee of Ways and Means scheduled additional budget hearings through May where the council’s request and other departmental budgets will be revisited.

(Reporting from the Town of Braintree Committee of Ways and Means hearing, May 1, 2025.)","The Town Council presented its FY2026 budget request on May 1; Clerk Kirk Cimino said the council budget is reduced and staffed by a single full‑time clerk. Councilors warned the current funding impedes core legislative functions and called for a reserve fund and additional staff support.","actionData","errors"]

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Braintree projects $175.7 million in operating revenue for FY2026; council warned of out‑year gaps and revenue risks

Town council budget reduced again; councilors press for reserve fund and clerk support