Select Board Approves First 1/12th Budget For July 2020

ANDOVER, MA — The Andover Select Board approved the town's first 1/12th budget, Monday night — a monthly budget permitted by the state only due to the coronavirus.

The monthly budget comes to $17.1 million: $5.1 million for the town, $7.3 for the schools, and $4.6 for "obligations," like debt.

Because the town meeting was postponed to July 22, the town's fiscal year will end without a new Fiscal Year 2021 budget in place for July 1. State legislation allows towns to use 1/12th budgets, which must be at least 1/12th the size of the prior year's fiscal budget.

Town officials presented a spending plan to the Board with estimates for operations and enterprise fund spending. No capital spending that requires a separate town meeting appropriation can be approved as part of a 1/12th budget

The Board approved the budget unanimously.

The Board also approved a trio of related financial articles: 1) transferring money from the compensation fund for approved contracts, 2) moving money to the recreation, snow and ice and Greater Lawrence Technical High School departments to prevent end-of-year deficits, and 3) increasing the expenditure limit of the Recreation Revolving Fund.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.