Natick Select Board moves to phase out free cash by 2031
Select Board · Meeting of September 16, 2026
Natick Select Board moves to end use of reserves for budget by 2031. Finance Director Ari Skye's five-year forecast showed potential shortfalls of up to $16.7 million by fiscal 2032, depending on how aggressively the town funds a retiree health care liability topping $100 million. Board members agreed in principle to stop using "free cash" to fund operations and asked Skye to return September 30 with detailed budget guardrails.
Member Bruce Evans said the town gets "no credit for being good guys" on early OPEB funding and urged staff to find "the sweet spot." Separately, the board granted a liquor license to PB Natick Steakhouse LLC, accepted Hill Street into the road-acceptance process while denying Point Street, and extended a downtown dumpster permit over objections from business owner Ted Janakopoulos, who said "no problems have ever existed until the residents have moved into the downtown." A motion to swap Columbus Day for Indigenous Peoples Day on the town calendar failed for lack of a second.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,620 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of September 16, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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