Foxborough Coronavirus: Pandemic Creating Budget Challenges

FOXBOROUGH, MA — The new coronavirus pandemic is expected to create serious challenges for Massachusetts cities and towns as they write their budgets for the next fiscal year.

Town Manager William Keegan said Foxborough is no different, and will likely experience revenue losses from declining hotel tax collections and the lack of sporting events or concerts at Gillette Stadium.

"I'm not sounding the alarm at this point, because there's a number of pieces of information we don't know," Keegan said.

Keegan added that federal and state aid are expected to become available at some point, but town officials have received no indication on when the money will be available.

At Tuesday's selectmen meeting, Keegan said he plans to bring the budget, the town meeting warrant and the capital plan to the Advisory Committee next week. He also said he will discuss the town's position from a tax revenue perspective and offer projections for future income.

Last January, Keegan recommended a $85.5 million budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. That budget represented an increase of $4.7 million, or 5.8 percent, from the previous year. But Keegan said the proposal will change.

"I do expect some of my recommendations on the budget to change in respect to new positions, to most things on hold, until the fall, until we know where we stand," Keegan said.

New positions in the previous budget draft included a firefighter, a mechanic for the police and fire departments, a youth service librarian and a new health inspector.

Keegan projected the budget will be hit the hardest by revenue losses from the hotel tax, meals tax and lost revenue from Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots and the New England Revolution. The venue typically hosts summer concerts as well.

Restaurants are still allowed to open for take-out and delivery, but Keegan said the revenue they're bringing in lower than normal.

"The restaurants are still open, but it's very limited obviously, so we want to be absolutely mindful of that," Keegan said.

Keegan also said the revenue from property and real estate taxes is coming in slower because people have lost their jobs during the COVID-19 crisis. On Tuesday, the Board of Selectmen voted to extend tax-due dates until June 1. Residents will not have to pay interest or penalties during this time.