Foxborough Budget Discussion Gets Heated

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Disagreements over the town budget between Town Manager William Keegan and the town's budget advisory board peaked April 10 at the last advisory meeting before town meeting when Keegan accused the board of changing a town budget the selectmen already approved, the Sun Chronicle reported. According to Keegan, the the advisory board shaved almost $500,000 from Foxborough's proposed fiscal year 2020 budget the week prior, despite being told it wasn't necessary for him to attend the April 3 meeting.

Advisory board chair Susan Dring replied, arguing the advisory board is independent from the selectmen and doesn't need permission to make an independent recommendation. Keegan said the advisory board should at least discuss changes with the board before approving a new budget, which Dring said can happen before town meeting on May 13.

According to advisory vice chairman Bernard Dumont, the committee spent several weeks reviewing the budget in open session and said they objected to Foxborough's spending, which on average has risen 3 percent each year. Keegan said the budget the selectmen proposed is balanced and because of Foxborough's strong bond rating, budget increases have never exceeded the town's revenue. Dumont said the budget increase is concerning because when an $80 million budget is increased by 3 percent, it's a lot of money.

For more on this story, check out the Sun Chronicle.