Reviews the town's entire budget and makes recommendations on how your tax dollars are spent.
87 items across 8 meetings.
April 27, 2026 · agenda
📋 Proposed
Routine opening of meeting.
📍 10 Mechanic Street, Bellingham (Arcand Meeting Room)
📋 Proposed
Review and approve minutes from the previous Finance Committee meeting.
📋 Proposed
Chad Kelley and Douglas Martin will present on the Community Preservation Act (a property-tax surcharge funding open space, housing, and historic preservation) as part of the FY2027 budget hearing.
📋 Proposed
Committee will reconsider a previously reviewed article involving a land donation on Freeman Street.
📍 Freeman Street, Bellingham
📋 Proposed
Draft Finance Committee report and recommendations for the May 27, 2026 Annual Town Meeting will be reviewed — this document guides voters on budget articles.
📋 Proposed
Committee will discuss scheduling of future meetings.
📋 Proposed
Additional topics not anticipated by the Chair may be raised as permitted by law.
April 13, 2026 · minutes
✅ Approved
Prior meeting minutes approved 6/0.
✅ Approved
$2,190,930 sewer budget recommended 6/0; directly affects sewer ratepayers.
💰 $2,190,930
✅ Approved
$1,081,306 stormwater budget recommended 6/0.
💰 $1,081,306
✅ Approved
$2,313,421 trash budget recommended 6/0; sets spending for residential trash collection.
💰 $2,313,421
✅ Approved
$4,010,015 water budget recommended 6/0; largest utility budget reviewed.
💰 $4,010,015
💬 Discussed
$240,000 gas budget presented by DPW; no separate vote recorded (part of FY27 hearing).
💰 $240,000
💬 Discussed
$176,930 Parks and Recreation budget presented by DPW.
💰 $176,930
✅ Approved
$283,000 snow and ice budget recommended 6/0.
💰 $283,000
✅ Approved
$38,660 Tree Warden budget recommended 6/0.
💰 $38,660
✅ Approved
$1,277,547 DPW Highway budget recommended 6/0.
💰 $1,277,547
✅ Approved
$8,950 cemetery budget (previously recommended April 6) noted as part of DPW presentation.
💰 $8,950
✅ Approved
$577,000 recommended 6/0 to add a protective overcoat to the Chestnut Street water standpipe, extending its life 7–10 years; funded from water retained earnings.
💰 $577,000 from water retained earnings
📍 Chestnut Street
✅ Approved
$30,793 recommended 6/0 to buy two 37,000-lb battery-powered mobile lifts for heavy vehicle maintenance; funded from Free Cash.
💰 $30,793 from Free Cash
✅ Approved
$155,862.66 recommended 6/0 to replace 2 police cruisers via Greater Boston Police Council bid; funded from Free Cash.
💰 $155,862.66 from Free Cash
• Status unclear
Passed over at Town Meeting; no Finance Committee action taken.
✅ Approved
Recommended 6/0 to transfer $780,000 from Free Cash to the Group Health Insurance Trust Fund.
💰 $780,000 from Free Cash
✅ Approved
Recommended 6/0 to transfer $75,000 from Free Cash to the Pension Retirement Reserve Trust Fund.
💰 $75,000 from Free Cash
✅ Approved
Recommended 6/0 to transfer $75,000 from Free Cash to the Stabilization Fund.
💰 $75,000 from Free Cash
• Status unclear
Passed over at Town Meeting; no Finance Committee action.
✅ Approved
Recommended 6/0 to pay $200 in unpaid bills from Free Cash.
💰 $200 from Free Cash
🔄 Postponed
Deferred; will be presented to Finance Committee at the April 27 meeting.
✅ Approved
Recommended 6/0; no dollar amount specified in minutes.
✅ Approved
Recommended 6/0; no dollar amount specified.
✅ Approved
Recommended 6/0 to hold a town property auction.
✅ Approved
Recommended 6/0; no dollar amount specified in minutes.
🔄 Postponed
Finance Committee deferred recommendation; will revisit before Town Meeting.
• Status unclear
All four articles will be passed over at Town Meeting; no action taken.
🔄 Postponed
Finance Committee deferred recommendation; will revisit before Town Meeting.
❌ Denied
Finance Committee voted 1/5 NOT to recommend accepting a land donation on Freeman Street.
📍 Freeman Street
✅ Approved
Recommended 6/0 to amend the Town Charter, Article 6, Section 2-1; details not specified in minutes.
✅ Approved
Recommended 6/0 to raise and appropriate $78,948,009 by taxation for town operating expenses and salaries.
💰 $78,948,009 raised by taxation
• Status unclear
Next Finance Committee meeting April 27 at 5:30 pm to cover remaining Town Meeting warrant articles, including the Community Preservation Act petition.
✅ Approved
Meeting adjourned at 7:56 pm.
April 13, 2026 · agenda
📋 Proposed
Routine opening of the meeting.
📍 10 Mechanic Street, Arcand Meeting Room, Bellingham Town Hall
📋 Proposed
Review and approve minutes from the prior Finance Committee meeting.
📋 Proposed
DPW Director Riedle presents the Department of Public Works FY2027 budget items for Finance Committee review ahead of Town Meeting.
📋 Proposed
Finance Committee reviews all non-capital warrant articles coming before the May 27 Annual Town Meeting.
📋 Proposed
Finance and Capital Committees jointly review capital spending articles slated for the May 27 Annual Town Meeting.
📋 Proposed
Review of the draft Finance Committee report and recommendations to be published before the May 27 Town Meeting.
📋 Proposed
Scheduling discussion for future Finance Committee meetings.
📋 Proposed
Topics not anticipated by the Chair may be raised to the extent permitted by law.
April 6, 2026 · minutes
✅ Approved
Prior meeting minutes approved 6/0.
✅ Approved
Twenty departments with budgets at or under $60,000 each — totaling ~$530,405 — were bundled and recommended 6/0; includes Assessor Revaluation ($45K), OPEB ($50K), Reserve Fund Transfers ($50K), and Tax Title ($60K).
💰 ~$530,405 combined across 20 departments
✅ Approved
$446,337 budget for maintaining town-owned buildings recommended 6/0.
💰 $446,337
✅ Approved
$219,800 budget for the Town Clerk's office recommended 6/0.
💰 $219,800
✅ Approved
$172,232 budget for Veterans services recommended 6/0.
💰 $172,232
✅ Approved
$139,100 budget for Elections recommended 6/0.
💰 $139,100
✅ Approved
$739,485 library budget — the largest single item reviewed at this meeting — recommended 6/0.
💰 $739,485
✅ Approved
$218,675 HR department budget recommended 6/0.
💰 $218,675
✅ Approved
$353,377 Council on Aging budget recommended 6/0.
💰 $353,377
✅ Approved
$138,150 Board of Health budget recommended 6/0.
💰 $138,150
✅ Approved
$118,500 Town Counsel (legal services) budget recommended 6/0.
💰 $118,500
✅ Approved
$135,000 street lighting budget recommended 6/0.
💰 $135,000
💬 Discussed
Next Finance Committee sessions will cover FY27 DPW budgets and Annual Town Meeting capital requests (Apr. 13), then warrant articles (Apr. 27) — both at 5:30 pm.
📍 Bellingham Municipal Center
March 30, 2026 · minutes
✅ Approved
Prior meeting minutes approved 5/0.
✅ Approved
$827,476 IT Department budget presented and recommended for FY27.
💰 $827,476
✅ Approved
$5,165,862 Fire Department budget presented by Chief Miller and recommended 5/0.
💰 $5,165,862
✅ Approved
$5,707,950 Police Department budget presented by Chief Fitzgerald and recommended 5/0.
💰 $5,707,950
✅ Approved
Interim CFO presented Finance ($569,728), Assessors ($302,456), and Treasurer/Collector ($409,880) budgets; all recommended 5/0.
💰 $569,728 / $302,456 / $409,880
✅ Approved
Town Administrator presented Animal Control ($242,862), Building Inspector ($240,190), Planning ($236,468), Town Administrator ($249,920), Zoning ($8,000), Conservation ($122,238), and Selectboard ($174,400) budgets; all recommended 5/0.
💰 $242,862 / $240,190 / $236,468 / $249,920 / $8,000 / $122,238 / $174,400
💬 Discussed
Next meetings April 6 (Annual Town Meeting warrant articles) and April 13 (FY27 DPW and smaller department budgets), both at 5:30 pm.
✅ Approved
Meeting adjourned at 7:05 pm.
March 30, 2026 · agenda
📋 Proposed
Meeting called to order at 5:30 PM.
📍 10 Mechanic Street, Arcand Meeting Room, Bellingham Town Hall
📋 Proposed
Review and approve minutes from the prior week's meeting.
📋 Proposed
IT Director Jasinski-Dutil presents the FY2027 Information Technology department budget for committee review.
📋 Proposed
Fire Chief Miller and Deputy Chief Provost present the FY2027 Fire Department budget.
📋 Proposed
Police Chief Fitzgerald presents the FY2027 Police Department budget and capital requests.
📋 Proposed
Interim CFO Correia presents FY2027 budgets for Finance, Assessors, and Treasurer/Collector — Assessors office directly sets property valuations.
📋 Proposed
Town Administrator Laydon presents FY2027 budgets for Town Administration, Select Board, Animal Control, Inspectional Services, Planning, Zoning, and Conservation.
📋 Proposed
Town Administrator and Interim CFO present and take questions on remaining FY2027 departmental budget accounts.
📋 Proposed
Committee discusses the schedule for remaining FY2027 budget hearings.
📋 Proposed
Discussion of upcoming meeting schedule and any unanticipated topics.