Wayland finance team recommends 3.68 percent budget guideline for fiscal 2020

WAYLAND -- September 17, 2018, Wayland's finance team recommends a 3.68 percent FY2020 budget guideline as committed costs swallow the increase. Finance Director Brian Keveney told a joint summit of the Select Board, Finance Committee and School Committee that $2.1 million in contractual payroll, a 6.5 percent Middlesex Retirement assessment hike, an 8 percent health-insurance placeholder and $200,000 to move DPW snow-and-ice into the operating budget account for most of the $3.9 million increase before any new initiative. School Business Administrator Susan Bottan said school level-service adds $1.5 million, with English-learner enrollment up "about 240 percent over the past five years." Adding the proposed high school turf field, Loker recreation field and new firefighter positions would push the increase to roughly 5 percent. Free cash is estimated at $7.4 million. New Town Administrator Louise Miller, in her second week, reported a $160,000 federal grant to replace all Fire Department breathing apparatus.