Finance Committee finalizes FY25 budget presentation for Select Board

WAYLAND -- April 24, 2024, Wayland Finance Committee finalizes its FY25 budget pitch and signals a possible override by fiscal 2026. The committee voted 4-0 Wednesday to approve April 17 minutes and spent most of the session editing slides for Monday's joint meeting with the Select Board, where it will present the omnibus budget, a $47.4 million five-year capital plan and formal recommendations. Members agreed Wayland's expenditures split roughly 69 percent to schools and 31 percent to town once debt, utilities and insurance are reallocated by payroll. Brian O'Herlihy pushed to keep language warning of a Proposition 2½ override in "fiscal year 26 and or fiscal year 27." Chair Pam Aaltonen said she and April Schultz had asked schools Finance and Operations Director Susan Bottan for three- to five-year pro forma budgets. A late $526,000 emergency wastewater repair request from DPW Director Tom Holder will be added at the May 13 Annual Town Meeting.