North Andover Town Meeting Preview: 4.07% Budget Increase

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — North Andover voters will decide Tuesday on the town manager's proposed $111 million Fiscal Year 2021 budget, a 4.07 percent increase over the current budget.

The proposed budget includes a 4.5 percent increase to the town budget, a 4.52 percent increase to the schools, and just 1.2 percent to "shared services." Shared services includes things like employee benefits and insurance.

The town faces significant uncertainty regarding some revenue metrics for the coming year. The budget projects $11.8 million in state aid and $11.4 million in local receipts and miscellaneous other sources. According to the warrant, town officials do not forecast major hits to state aid—the budget projects a level amount from Fiscal Year 2020—but the amount the town will receive remains unconfirmed.

Due to the uncertainty, the Finance Committee did not make a formal recommendation in the warrant, instead planning to withhold their position until the meeting. The Board of Selectmen also withheld their recommendation on one of the finance articles, the general fund budget.

In addition to the $23.2 million in local receipts and state aid, the budget forecasts $80.6 million in tax revenue and $7.4 from other sources including free cash.

Just under half of the budget is devoted to schools, $53.7 million.

The full warrant is available here. Town meeting is Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the football field of the Joe Walsh Stadium at North Andover High School.

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