Burlington Town Meeting Passes Fiscal Year 2021 Budget

BURLINGTON, MA — Town Meeting Members passed the Fiscal Year 2021 budget, just over $150 million, at town meeting Wednesday. The budget follows a 3.5 percent budget increase guideline.

Town officials are expecting major hits to revenue due to the coronavirus, but asked town meeting to pass the budget as planned; if need be, officials will return to the fall town meeting and ask for cuts. Some budget items will not be spent until that point, officials said.

Town meeting took place outside on the Varsity Field, and members were physically distanced and wore masks. A large portion of the warrant articles were postponed or withdrawn, to save both money and time.

All other articles were passed.

Many of the postponed and withdrawn items are noted on the warrant, and more were postponed at the meeting. Among the non-financial articles, only articles 32, 33, 37 and 43 were passed. Similarly, much of the capital budget was postponed.

The full operating budget includes $38.9 million for the town, $55.5 for the schools and $54.0 for "accommodated accounts." Town administrator Paul Sagarino opened the meeting by touting the town's conservative budgeting.

"We have the ability to absorb what we considered to be the first wave of attack: local receipts," Sagarino said.

Local receipts and state aid remain concerns for coming years.

The full meeting is available here from BCAT.

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