Town Meeting Approves $32.8 Million FY27 Budget

Town Meeting · Meeting of May 18, 2026

West Boylston Town Meeting approved a $32.8 million fiscal 2027 budget and more than a dozen other warrant articles. The omnibus budget, approved unanimously under Article 11, includes $15,049,914 for schools, $9,814,655 for municipal operations and debt, and $7,960,000 for employee benefits. Superintendent Dan Riley said the district cut six positions worth $556,628 but restored 1.5 teaching jobs added as emergency funding in October after elementary class sizes hit 27 students per classroom.

Fire Chief Mark Sadowski said the department answered nearly 2,300 calls last year with just four firefighters on duty, calling it "the equivalent of what 12,000 and 14,000 person communities typically do." A town official said the budget faces a $500,000 to $1 million shortfall by fiscal 2028, with a debt exclusion override likely on the fall warrant. Voters also approved $475,000 in capital spending and a $16,300 DPW union contract.

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Source: the Town Meeting meeting of May 18, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.