Cohasset officials are considering a new approach to developing the town's annual budget that would bring the Select Board, School Committee and financial advisory groups together for joint discussions as the community weighs major capital expenses and the possibility of a tax override.
Town Manager Michelle Leary introduced the concept of "One Town, One Budget" during the Oct. 13 Select Board meeting, describing a process she learned about at a recent municipal finance summit. The approach would give town officials and committee members an opportunity to review the same financial information, discuss priorities and develop a shared understanding of Cohasset's budget challenges.
The proposed meetings would include the Select Board, School Committee, Advisory Committee and Capital Budget Committee. Leary said the School Committee had already committed to participating, while discussions with the other committees were still being arranged.
Select Board Chair David Farrag expressed support for the approach, saying joint meetings could help ensure that officials evaluate the town's financial needs using consistent information rather than conducting separate discussions.
"To get everybody in the room on the boards and talk about the budgets that everyone's looking at it with the same set of eyes, and then you can hash out whatever wrinkles there are in it, I think would be the best thing to do so that everyone has the same set of information that they're operating off of," Farrag said.
Leary pointed to Shrewsbury as an example of a community that has used long-term financial planning to manage its operating costs. She said the town had approved an override intended to support operations for four years but had gone longer without needing another.
"It was supposed to last four years. They're in year seven and have not needed to go for another override. So their modeling works, so I'd like to try it here and see if we can model something similar," Leary said.
For Cohasset, the discussions would come as officials evaluate both operating expenses and significant capital needs. Projects and facilities identified during the meeting included the police station, fire station, water department, wastewater treatment plant and schools.
The town is also beginning its annual budget development process. Department budgets are due Oct. 27, and officials are preparing two scenarios: one maintaining existing service levels and another outlining what a fully operational budget would require if additional revenue became available through an override.
Leary emphasized that an override is not yet a certainty.
"I do think everyone is buying into this process, especially if we do have to go for an override, which we're still not convinced has to happen this year, but we'll make sure that we all hear the same message at the same time to make that decision," she said.
The Select Board also discussed whether certain recurring expenses should be handled differently in future budgets. Among the possibilities raised were moving police cruiser purchases from the capital budget into the operating budget and reconsidering how school transportation costs are funded.
Select Board member Will Ashton discussed a possible schedule for the collaborative budgeting effort, including joint committee meetings in December and another meeting in the spring. Those discussions would give officials additional opportunities to review financial projections as the budget takes shape.
Leary also reported that Cohasset had received certification of slightly more than $3.3 million in free cash, with approximately $3.08 million remaining after accounting for obligations associated with Special Town Meeting. Free cash is a state-certified measure of available municipal funds, not necessarily recurring revenue that can support ongoing expenses.
The next steps include discussing the proposed approach with the Capital Budget Committee and seeking input from the Advisory Committee. Meanwhile, the Select Board is expected to revisit its draft budget message at an upcoming meeting, with members aiming to finalize their guidance before the end of October.