Marlborough Finance Committee approves $1.2M in mid-year transfers, postpones new communications hire

MARLBOROUGH -- February 21, 2024, Marlborough Finance Committee approves $1.2M in mid-year transfers but postpones new communications director. The committee voted 5-0 on Feb. 21 to approve $45,100 from reserve for salaries, carving out a $5,000 mayor's office expense line until Mayor J. Christian Dumas provides receipts, plus $13,000 for the city clerk and $1,139,000 in Department of Public Works transfers, $814,000 of it covering electricity and gas increases of 44 and 52 percent. The committee also unanimously established an Opioid Settlement Special Revenue Fund and transferred $162,202.95 from free cash to seed it, attaching six conditions from Council President Michael Ossing requiring the mayor to communicate all incoming receipts and planned expenditures and adding a monthly opioid line to the auditor's report. Marlborough expects roughly $2.3 million in opioid settlement money over 15 years. Councilor Laura Brown's motion to advertise a new $79,000 Communications and Special Projects Director position died for lack of a second; Councilor Mary Fitchell's motion to postpone carried 3-1.