Sherborn Advisory Committee Approves FY27 Guidance Letter, Adds January Meeting Date

SHERBORN — November 5, 2025 — Sherborn's Advisory Committee approved its fiscal year 2027 budget guidance letter and exposed significant oversight gaps in the town's management of multi-year capital projects. The committee unanimously adopted the letter, which recommends a 3.25 percent cost-of-living adjustment aligned with the Boston-Cambridge-Newton regional CPI increase of 3.3 percent and substitutes references to "school budget increases" with language acknowledging active collective bargaining negotiations with police and school educators. Town Administrator Jeremy confirmed that roughly $1.2 million in ARPA funds were allocated by the Select Board in 2021 without advisory or capital budget committee involvement, and that a Laurel Fields irrigation project originally estimated around $300,000 has grown past $500,000 with no clear project manager. Members also flagged that bonded capital projects — including pickleball and tennis court work approved in May and a Jameson Fields baseball improvement funded two years ago — have seen only $3,000 to $4,000 in spending. The committee canceled its November 12 meeting and added a January 14, 2026 session to keep the budget cycle on track for a mid-February completion.