G-WX6L8DJH7E FM #1438 - ToF - Finance Cmte Mtg Budget Hearing #3 - 05/01/25 - Franklin Matters Radio

Episode 1438

full
Published on:

3rd May 2025

FM #1438 - ToF - Finance Cmte Mtg Budget Hearing #3 - 05/01/25

This session shares the Finance Committee meeting conducted Thursday, May 1, 2025. 7 members of the Committee participated, 6 in Council Chambers, 1 remote (Hamilton) 1 absent (Nagel) for the last of the series of Budget Hearings for FY 2026. This session covered the General government line items and led to the series of recommending votes.   

Quick recap

  • Up for review tonight were the General government departments, many of them much smaller than the Police, FIRE, DPW, and Schools covered previously but all key to Town services. 
  • Recreation pays for itself with fee revenue from servicing 7200 kids with 3 full time personnel
  • Library just above the minimum required by State legislation not revised since it was enabled over 100 years ago
  • Town Clerk's office runs the annual census, dog licenses, registrations, and this year 2 elections; the special override election June 3 and the local election in November (Town Council, School Cmte and other elected positions, including this year the Town Clerk).
  • Senior Center has a minimal expense budget most of it is personnel and a good portion of it is covered by fee revenue or grants. Still working on how to fine tune it, won't likely get to the fee supported  status of the Recreation Dept. May 15 ribbon cutting for the van and gazebo at the Senior Center (10 AM)
  • Resolutions for approval - all passed by same 7-0-1 (1 absent) roll call vote
  • Resolution 25-20: Recommendation of FY2026 Budget
  • Resolution 25-21: Salary Schedule: Full-Time Elected Official 
  • Resolution 25-22: Expenditure Limits for FY2026 on Departmental Revolving Funds Established by Franklin Town Code Chapter 73, as Provided in MGL Chapter 44, §53E½, as Amended 
  • Resolution 25-23: Snow and Ice Transfer of Funds 
  • Resolution 25-24: Appropriation and Transfer of Funds from Water Enterprise Fund Retained Earnings to Water Line Project

The meeting runs 2 hours and 28 minutes, so let’s listen in.

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Franklin TV video is available for replay ->  https://www.youtube.com/live/C5g8YGdpTmI?&t=430 

The agenda and released documents for this session -> https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05012025-1710 

My notes in one PDF -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LFcbiY2E14_zoCwZHMOjuSOpnIaaUM1J/view?usp=drive_link 

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The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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About the Podcast

Franklin Matters Radio
Information for the community because Franklin matters
What matters in Franklin MA - we follow the money sharing Town & School meetings, community events, and interviews to enable an informed resident & voter

About your host

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Stephen Sherlock

I volunteer as the Community Information Director for Franklin, MA (USA)*. I have been providing accurate and timely information about what matters in Franklin since 2007. Currently working in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Radio (wfpr.fm) since October 2019.

*They don't have one and couldn't afford me.