Finance Committee approves previous minutes, reviews budget pressures ahead of override vote.
Shirley Finance Committee unanimously approved previous meeting minutes and endorsed a new transparency committee pairing town and school administrators. Town Administrator Bryan Sawyer reported the school district is requesting a $1.8 million budget increase and pursuing an override vote; Sawyer
Finance Committee · Meeting of February 24, 2026
Shirley Finance Committee unanimously approved previous meeting minutes and endorsed a new transparency committee pairing town and school administrators. Town Administrator Bryan Sawyer reported the school district is requesting a $1.8 million budget increase and pursuing an override vote; Sawyer is scheduled to negotiate with school leadership Friday at 9:00 a.m. The committee flagged two major revenue headwinds: a $271,000 loss from accidentally deleted state MCI funds and a $200,000 Ayer school credit that lapsed in FY26, both adding pressure to the town's regional school payment obligations.
Police overtime and rising health insurance costs have driven year-to-date budget overages; a full-day budget meeting with town departments is set for Saturday, March 7.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 323 words
Source: the Finance Committee meeting of February 24, 2026, compiled from the official minutes.
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