Milton Town Hall · Budget Coordination Committee Meeting Transcript
Milton's Budget Falls $2.5 Million Short in 2027-28, Town Forecast Shows
Townwide · Budget Coordination Committee · Nov 5, 2026
Milton's income would fall about $2.5 million short of its costs in the year starting July 2027, town finance staff told a town-school budget committee on Oct 30.
- The year after: in the budget year starting July 2028, the gap grows to about $6 million.
- Why: costs grow faster than income. The forecast has school costs rising 5.2% a year, town departments 3.5% and health insurance 10%.
- Savings: the forecast already takes $717,000 from a town savings account kept for budget gaps. Before that, the account will hold about $3.7 million. Whether to take more is up to town officials, staff said.
- Early estimates: staff said the forecast is preliminary and will change as the budget is built.
- Costs coming to voters: staff listed big costs that voters will be asked to approve. They called the figures rough, not estimates or recommendations. First, on Dec 15, voters decide on borrowing $11.75 million to buy the Labouré campus. That would add about $130 a year to the average house's tax bill. Next is the Atherton St fire station, now put at $19 million. Its loan payments would be about $1.9 million a year. A new school building could follow around fall 2028.
- Override question: staff asked the committee to start talking about an override. An override is a town-wide vote to raise property taxes by more than the state normally allows, which is 2.5% a year. The questions are whether Milton needs one, when, and how big. Until then, the town would balance its budget with cuts and savings. Staff said they were not proposing an override. No vote was taken.
- Next: School Committee and Select Board finance members meet together Nov 6. The committee also wants a closer look at the forecast in about two weeks. No date is set yet.
- Background: at the same meeting, school officials said keeping today's school services would cost about $1.6 million more than the town plans to give the schools.
Sources: Budget Coordination Committee, meeting video (Milton Access TV), Oct 30, 2026