It’s not just a no vote.
It’s a signal from the Bolton community for a more transparent and accountable Town Government when it comes to fiscal responsibility.
VOTE NO on the override and drive the Town to create a budget for a fiscally responsible Bolton.
It Doesn’t Need to be All or Nothing
When private businesses face financial uncertainty, they prioritize core operations and trim non-essential spending. Discretionary perks, underutilized roles, duplicative services, and long-term projects are often paused or eliminated to preserve liquidity and operational focus. These businesses aim to minimize disruption to their primary value delivery while making pragmatic, targeted cuts.
Municipal governments, while different in mission, should apply similar principles in times of fiscal constraint. Instead of across-the-board reductions or cuts to vital services, towns should identify roles, stipends, and programs that offer limited direct benefit or can be consolidated without materially harming the public good. This strategic approach ensures taxpayer dollars are safeguarded and essential community services are maintained.
In challenging budget cycles, it's essential to focus on clear data, measurable outcomes, and structural sustainability. The Advisory Committee’s FY2026 presentation, while informative in some respects, leans heavily on emotion-driven narratives rather than rigorous financial analysis. This strategy of emphasizing potential service collapse, such as cutting entire departments like the Council on Aging or closing the transfer station, is designed to generate fear rather than informed discussion. It does not seriously explore targeted reductions, redundancy elimination, or role consolidation as viable alternatives to a sweeping override.
It’s important to acknowledge that these budget choices affect real people and real jobs. Every role proposed for reduction deserves thoughtful review. But seriousness in stewardship means we must make tough decisions based on data, not dramatics. The town should focus on making responsible, incremental cuts that protect essential services and financial health, rather than presenting an all-or-nothing scenario to taxpayers.
Council on Aging Recommendation
(formerly listed as Assistant)
Cut wages line
Potential Savings: $46,163
The COA FY2026 budget includes:
Salary – $68,453
Wages – $46,163
To preserve essential services for seniors while aligning with fiscal responsibility goals, we recommend eliminating the COA assistant wages line.
This adjustment would result in $46,163 in savings and still allow the COA to function with its current Director.
This approach ensures Bolton maintains support for its aging population without eliminating the department entirely or cutting core program offerings.
The COA can evaluate whether limited volunteer or part-time support may be sourced without ongoing wage obligations.
Public Library Recommendation
Fund Minimal MAR Level for FY2026 by Reducing $24,000 from Wages
Potential Savings: $24,000+
To maintain accreditation through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), the Bolton Public Library must meet its Municipal Appropriation Requirement (MAR).
The key requirement is that the library's municipal appropriation must increase by at least 2.5% over the average of the last three fiscal years. It also requires a minimum number of open hours. By Bolton's census numbers, that would be a minimum of 25 hours (currently open 41 hours a week)
The FY2026 the MAR calculation is:
[FY23 $481,376 + FY24 $543,239 + FY25 $559,703) / 3] × 1.025 = $541,308.65
The current proposed FY2026 library budget is $565,876, which exceeds the minimum MAR requirement by $24,567.35.
We recommend reducing the budget by this amount, targeting the reduction from the general wages line, while still maintaining accreditation and all core services. This preserves Bolton's compliance with state requirements without overcommitting funds beyond what is needed.
Going forward, we should not allow a increase of more than 2.5% a year in Library budget. This is fiscally responsible and will maintain the MARS certificaiton.
Parks and Recreation Recommendation
Reduce P&R Coordinator Role to Part-Time or Seasonal
Potential Savings: $23,000+
We recommend continuing Parks and Recreation operations through the existing 4-person volunteer board, supported by a seasonal or part-time coordinator rather than a full-time year-round position.
This adjustment would reflect the seasonal nature of programming and align staffing levels with actual operational needs for a town of Bolton’s size.
The full-time Parks and Recreation Coordinator role was created in FY2020 and has seen substantial year-over-year salary increases.
Below is a breakdown of the coordinator’s salary growth:
The position has more than tripled in cost since its inception. Given the seasonal nature of programming and budgetary constraints, we recommend reducing this position to seasonal or part-time, with a corresponding salary reduction of at least $23,000. This change ensures Parks and Recreation continues to operate while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
Stipends Recommendation
Cut all Stipends
Potential Savings: $8,653
Potential Savings: $8653
The FY2026 budget includes stipend line items in the following departments:
Town Accountant – $1,000
Board of Assessors – $1,000
Tax Collector – $7,653
We recommend removing these stipends, resulting in $9,653 in total savings. Stipends set at round numbers, such as $1,000 often reflect non-essential compensation, lacking detailed rationale or measurable performance criteria. Additionally, the Tax Collector’s stipend, set at an oddly specific $7,653, should be carefully reviewed. This unusual figure may indicate mislabeling of a department budget item and not as a stipend.
Animal Control Recommendation
Renegotiate Rate or Appoint Role to Bolton Police
Potential Savings: $21,068
Bolton currently budgets $21,068 annually for an Animal Control Officer (ACO).
What may not be widely known is that the person hired serves five towns—Bolton, Stow, Boxborough, Lancaster, and Littleton. This does not seem to be under a regional agreement.
In addition to the $21,068, the town pays $1,617 to the Nashoba Board of Health for Animal Control support and another $560 for rabies testing, which raises concerns of potential overlap or double billing.
While Massachusetts General Law Chapter 140, Section 151 mandates that each town must appoint at least one ACO, there is no legal requirement that this position be filled through a shared regional contract or ACO.
The statute explicitly allows towns to appoint local police officers to serve in this capacity. Given the limited dedicated service hours and alternative staffing options, the town should renegotiate the agreement or restructure the role under the Bolton Police Department. This move would streamline enforcement, improve accountability, and create potential for long-term savings.
Travel Budget Recommendation
Cut all travel
Potential Savings: $6,850
The FY26 draft includes 10 travel-related line items across departments, including Treasurer/Collector, Town Clerk, Town Administrator, Board of Health, Conservation Commission, Board of Assessors, Police Department, and Human Resources.
The combined travel budget totals $6,850.
Notably, 9 of the 10 travel lines are round numbers (e.g., $1,000, $500, $250), typically indicating estimates rather than detailed spending forecasts. Given the minimal actual spend in prior years and the availability of virtual training alternatives, we recommend eliminating these travel allocations for FY26.
EMT Cadet Program
Potential Savings: TBD
The EMT Cadet Program began in May 1987, with Bolton providing partial funding and the school district covering the remainder for the first class. Since then, the program has grown into a valued asset, offering students hands-on training while contributing to regional emergency preparedness.
In reviewing the public budgets of Lancaster and Stow, we were unable to locate any budget lines reflecting contributions to the EMT Cadet Program. If accurate, this suggests Bolton has been absorbing a disproportionate share of the costs despite the program’s availability to all NRHS students. It’s important to note that we have not yet confirmed this with town officials, and the funding may be embedded within those towns broader education or fire department budgets.
At present, Bolton allocates $19,372 toward the program annually, compared to the $15,000 from the Nashoba Regional School District, meaning Bolton contributes more than 50% of the program’s total cost.
If further investigation confirms that Bolton has shouldered a majority of this expense since the program's inception, this raises significant concerns and cost savings for the Town.
Bolton Residents - If you have insight into this budget item that can provide additional clarity, please email us here. We will update accordingly
YOU NEED TO VOTE TWICE
⭐️
YOU NEED TO VOTE TWICE ⭐️
MONDAY, MAY 5
7:00 p.m.
Nashoba Regional High School
12 Green Road, Bolton, Massachusetts
MONDAY, MAY 12
12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Nashoba Regional High School
12 Green Road, Bolton, Massachusetts
💡Did you know? The first vote is to advance the proposal to a ballot vote. The second vote is to enact it.
