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Hardwick Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Review and Departmental Oversight
Original title: 03/16/2026 Hardwick, MA. Select Board & Finance Committee Meeting
These meeting notes are AI-generated and unofficial. They are provided for convenience and are not official Town records or approved municipal minutes. Verify all details using the source video and official Town documents.
Summary
The Hardwick Select Board and Finance Committee met to review the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget, focusing on administrative, IT, legal, and departmental expenses. The board scrutinized salary increases, IT service costs, and the need for improved financial oversight, including the enforcement of billing policies and the request for detailed transaction reports. Discussions also covered the potential for regionalizing services, the restructuring of the treasurer/collector position, and the administrative challenges within the conservation department.
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Discussion Highlights
- The committee reviewed the IT budget, noting concerns over historical underfunding and a $20,000 overage, prompting a plan to issue an RFP for competitive pricing.
- The board discussed the need for stricter oversight of legal billing and the enforcement of existing town policies to manage rising legal costs.
- The conservation department's increasing administrative burden was highlighted, with a proposal to share a conservation agent position with neighboring towns.
- The committee analyzed the sewer enterprise fund, specifically the allocation of retirement and administrative costs to the department.