ASHFIELD — The town’s fiscal year 2027 budget is beginning to take shape, with the Finance Committee and Selectboard having so far reviewed a total of $1.36 million in requests from various departments and committees.
A joint meeting this week focused on reviewing proposals from the Board of Health, Veterans Services, Emergency Management, the town clerk, the Cultural Council, Belding Memorial Library, and the Selectboard and Finance Committee.
The largest increase requested came from the Finance Department, which is seeking a $9,731, or 5.29%, increase for postage and office supplies, as well as slight increases to the salaries for the treasurer ($2,624), tax collector ($3,457) and accountant ($200).
Treasurer Julie Wonkka told board members that to cover the cost associated with all the paychecks and vendor checks being mailed out throughout the year, the town needs to increase the budget for supplies.
“My postage line is for all the checks that go out for the town — so any payroll checks that need to be mailed and all the vendor checks,” Wonkka explained.
Other increases discussed included a $3,892, or 7.36%, increase to the town clerk’s budget, which Town Clerk Alexis Fedorjaczenko said will cover a $2,000 increase to her salary as well as an $1,800 increase to the election line item, as not only will she be running the annual town election, but this fall will be the midterm elections for Congress.
“Everything is a level-funded request except for elections, which goes up or down depending on the number of elections that we’re running that year,” Fedorjaczenko said.
At a budget hearing earlier this month, the boards reviewed increases for the Zoning Board of Appeals, Conservation Commission and Planning Board, which asked for an additional $25,000 to cover their shared clerk, and $7,610 so the Recreation Committee can increase the salaries for lifeguards and create a maintenance position.
Board members also touched on health insurance costs, which have not yet been determined for fiscal year 2027, but are expected to increase. For fiscal year 2026, the town had budgeted $172,100 for insurance, but then faced a mid-year rate increase of 20% when its insurance provider, Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust, increased rates to absorb the cost of rising pharmaceutical prices and abundant medical claims.
This past fall, the Selectboard opted to stay with the Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust for FY27 to provide the town administrator and treasurer more time to research whether switching insurance providers would be beneficial for the town, and to provide the trust another year to attempt to navigate its financial challenges.
“All across the county, everybody is underwater on their health insurance,” Selectboard Chair Tom Carter said. “We’ll manage it better than others, I guarantee.”
The Selectboard and Finance Committee are expected to continue reviewing budget proposals in the coming weeks for other departments, including the Highway Department, Police Department and Mohawk Trail Regional School District.