Burlington Facing $2.1 Million Local Receipts Shortfall

BURLINGTON, MA — Burlington is facing a $2.1 million Fiscal Year 2021 budget shortfall due to low local receipts, town officials told the Board of Selectmen, Monday.

June Town Meeting passed the Fiscal Year 2021 budget as planned before the coronavirus pandemic, with town officials planning to come back in September with any necessary cuts.

The 2021 budget is just over $150 million

The cuts are not as bad as they could have been: state aid is holding level, whereas town officials feared millions of dollars in cuts to it. Still, the local receipt shortfall requires reductions to both the town and school budgets.

Assistant Town Administrator John Danizio explained that about two-thirds of the cut is being handled through the "accommodated accounts," including reducing funding to the town's OPEB account, which pays for some post-employment benefits. But $700,000 will come from operating budgets.

"Just about everyone's feeling some pain," Danizio said.

"Next year could be much worse," he noted.

The selectmen supported the proposed cuts, which will go before town meeting, Sept. 30.

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