Sherborn Advisory Committee Reviews FY27 Budget Leaving Only $96,000 in Reserve Capacity

SHERBORN -- March 4, 2026, Sherborn Advisory Committee reviews FY27 budget with only $96,000 in excess levy capacity remaining. Finance Director Jeremy presented a consolidated budget rollup to the eight-member committee Wednesday showing the draft fiscal year 2027 budget carries a 5.06 percent overall increase, 5.75 percent for town departments and just over 5 percent for school budgets, leaving the town with just $96,000 in excess levy capacity under Proposition 2½, down from $746,000 in the current fiscal year. Free cash is certified at $3.1 million, with more than $1.6 million in proposed uses including a $300,000 supplemental for snow-and-ice overruns, capital items including police and public works vehicles and transfer station electrical upgrades, and $125,000 in design funds for town building projects. The legal counsel budget was raised to $168,000 from a long-standing level-funded figure of $80,000 to reflect actual three-year average spending. Chair Stephen Bonder said S&P reaffirmed the town's Triple-A bond rating at the last issuance but flagged the town's sub-5,000 population and high per-capita costs as headwinds, warning that significant reserve drawdowns or added debt would be negatives at the next review. Formal committee votes on all 16 warrant articles are scheduled for the March 21 public hearing.