Finance Committee opens review of $188.75 million FY24 Marlborough budget

MARLBOROUGH -- May 15, 2023, Marlborough Finance Committee begins review of Mayor Vigeant's $188.75 million FY24 budget. Mayor Arthur G. Vigeant presented a 4.57 percent increase over FY23 anchored by a $2.5 million tax-levy reduction, zero percent water, sewer and health-insurance rate increases, and $44 million in projected local aid. New spending includes $70,000 for a United Way community social worker, two new library positions tied to the expanded library, two new public-facilities custodians, an in-house plumber to replace $120-per-hour contracted service, and a doubling of the snow and ice budget to $1 million. Superintendent Mary Murphy presented a $71.96 million schools budget with Chapter 70 rising 21.72 percent to nearly $8.2 million. Fire Chief Kevin Breen reported a record 9,075 incidents in 2023, a 49 percent jump over a decade, and is pursuing minimum shift staffing of 16 to keep a new EMS squad in service. Council President Michael Ossing pushed back on overtime padding: "Adjusting these line items by a little bit is not going to make the world come to an end." Assabet Valley's assessment rose 14.8 percent, roughly $850,000. The committee took no votes and continued to the next evening.