Wayland Finance Committee signals it cannot support 8.45 percent FY24 budget as submitted

WAYLAND — January 30, 2023 — Wayland Finance Committee balks at 8.45 percent budget and 10 percent tax hike. Members spent Monday night reviewing roughly 30 draft warrant articles for the May 1 Annual Town Meeting before turning to the FY24 operating budget, where Finance Director Brian Keveny said the actual increase came in $2.3 million above the original 4.5 percent guideline target of $5.4 million. Keveny attributed the gap mainly to $1.7 million in unbudgeted special education costs, $188,000 for the Children's Way, $177,000 for two middle school positions and $265,000 in school FTEs added mid-year. The School Committee has approved a $49.4 million school budget. "I don't feel comfortable at all bringing up an eight-plus percent increase," one member said. Also previewed: a $50,000 equity audit, a $524,742 Rivers Edge asbestos article and a Board of Public Works article advancing a roughly $20 million MWRA water connection.