Northborough Appropriations Committee approves two year-end transfers totaling $243,000

The Town of Northborough Appropriations Committee approved two year‑end transfers on July 15 to cover payroll and winter-storm costs.

Chair Scott Rogers read the first motion asking the committee to "approve the reserve fund transfer requests totaling $114,994 as presented in the finance director's 07/08/2026 memo pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 40, section 6." The motion passed on a roll-call vote; Terry Halloran, George Bridal, Tim Kalin, Mona Wallace and Scott Rogers each voted aye.

Rogers then read a second motion to "concur with the Select Board and approve the transfer request of $128,006 from health insurance to snow and ice as presented in the finance director's 07/08/2026 memo pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 44, section 33B." That motion also passed by roll call with all members voting aye.

Jason Little, the town's finance director, told the committee the transfers respond to a cluster of overrun lines in employee benefits and to higher-than-expected snow-and-ice spending, and that using the transfers prevents carrying those deficits into next year. "We have a collection of lines that added up to $587,000," Little said, citing employer payroll taxes and related benefit lines as the primary drivers of the shortfall.

The motions were presented as year‑end adjustments; the committee recorded the roll-call votes and carried both measures. There were no public comments on the transfers during the meeting.

The committee adjourned after several additional budget items were discussed.