Southbridge Subcommittee Advances Fourteen FY 2027 Budgets Totaling Over $21 Million

SOUTHBRIDGE -- April 16, 2026, Southbridge's General Government Subcommittee forwarded fourteen departmental budgets totaling more than $21 million for fiscal year 2027 at its April 16 meeting, recommending all items to the full Town Council with one flagged for re-examination. The three-member panel, Councillor Daniel, Ms. Clements, and Councillor Kelly, with Councillor Dow absent, approved budgets ranging from a $250 Zoning Board of Appeals allocation to a $7,180,232 group health and life insurance appropriation reflecting a 9.52 percent rate increase. The elections budget of $130,955 drew the sharpest scrutiny: members noted it represented a 125 percent increase over the FY 2026 figure and questioned why seasonal-positions spending had grown substantially compared with the prior presidential-election-year budget of $83,700. Town Manager Jeff Chaney acknowledged the discrepancy, "I would recommend keeping it in there right now, and if it has to be changed, when we go to the final question", and committed to a deeper review before the full council vote. The $3,144,639 debt-service budget includes escalating interest on borrowing anticipation notes for the fire station, which Chaney said will be rolled into a 30-year bond once construction reaches substantial completion in FY 2027; a bond-rating call is scheduled for the following week. The panel also continued preliminary discussions on a town vehicle policy and a public meeting recording policy to its next meeting.