Sherborn Advisory Committee Approves $147,000 in Year-End Departmental Budget Transfers

SHERBORN — June 17, 2026 — Sherborn Advisory Committee approves $147,000 in year-end interdepartmental transfers to cover fiscal year 2026 overages across eight departments. The committee voted unanimously Wednesday under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 44, Section 33B, drawing the funds from the employee benefits appropriation, which held an unexpended balance of $191,683. The largest transfer — $36,000 — went to the Board of Health to cover a supplementary health agent used for increasingly complex permitting projects; the fire department received $16,000 after an unusually severe winter pushed storm-coverage staffing costs to $23,000 against a typical annual spend of $6,000 to $7,000. Town counsel received $27,000 as legal fees for the year — driven by ongoing litigation and a police union contract negotiation — brought the total appropriation to roughly $197,000. Chair Stephen Bonder noted the process was deliberately moved earlier this year to prevent departments from entering deficit positions, pointing to Sherborn's triple-A bond rating as a concrete stake in getting the math right.