WILLIAMSBURG — Voters at annual Town Meeting on Monday will have a say in approving a budget for next fiscal year that will climb over $10 million for the first time, according to Town Administrator Nick Caccamo.
Caccamo considers making the $10 million mark for the fiscal year 2026 budget to be a double-edged sword, calling it, “kind of a decent milestone,” but adding that the number also “speaks to the rising costs of doing business and providing local government services.”
Next year’s proposed budget is 5.74% higher than the $9.5 million in the current year.
Monday’s meeting will convene at 6 p.m. in the Anne T. Dunphy School at 1 Petticoat Hill Road.
Caccamo notes that town had been heading in the direction of an override this spring as the budget was being created, and that department heads had to come back with lower requests than initially submitted.
Roughly $5.1 million, or 52% of the entire budget, is allocated toward education. That’s a 6.4% increase, or $307,847, over the current year.
To further buffer from the need for an override, the Finance Committee is recommending a $200,000 allocation from free cash that will be voted on in Article 11.
While this money is “helpful” to avoid an override, Caccamo said it also follows precedent.
“Historically, in the last few years, the Finance Committee has been recommending some amount to offset the tax rate to be kind of near the debt payment for the public safety complex,” he said.
Currently, the public safety complex has an annual interest and principal payment totaling $265,000.
Of the 30 articles to be voted on by residents, several seek cash appropriations for capital needs ranging from new vehicles to new tools for the fire department and both vehicle and body cameras for the police department.
Police Chief Denise Wickland has advocated for body cameras for many years. If approved, Article 18 would allow the town to spend $26,000 for the cameras, plus an ongoing annual expense of $9,000 to store the data to a hard drive, said Caccamo.
Articles 20-22 will seek approval for more work to be done on the Town Offices, including exterior paint, new gutters and blinds.
Article 24 would change the title of the “Board of Selectmen” to the “Select Board” and eliminate gendered bias within official town documents.
After the state passed the Massachusetts Affordable Homes Act last August, which seeks to make accessory dwellings permitted “by-right,” the town is voting to adopt this state policy in Article 28.
Article 29 would approve that anyone over the age of 70 would not need to pay for a dog license, an article recommended by John Cotton to the Select Board.
With the completion of the Public Safety Complex, the town is also seeking to sell the former Haydenville Fire Department at 16 South Main St. Caccamo said that the town does not currently know the worth of the property, but residents can consent to the sale of the building by town officials in Article 30.
Samuel Gelinas can be reached at sgelinas@gazettenet.com.
