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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance Comm 02/26/2026pEC1NC1 ,�� Town of Mansfield 6 Park Row, Mansfield, Massaehusetls 02048 A�SA00 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes February 26, 2026 Present: Ms. Sara Walsh, Chair; Mr. Scott Feely, Vice -Chair; Ms. Greta Loukos; Mr. Jack Cooney; Ms. Melinda Tarsi-Goldfien and Mr. Ryan Martin were present in meeting room 3 A/B. Mr. lack Cooney was not present at the start of the meeting but arrived at 6:0813M. Not Present: Mr. Michael Flaherty 1. Open Meeting Ms. Walsh called the Finance Committee meeting to order at 6:02 PM 2. Finance Committee to Attend the Tri-Board Meeting The members of the Finance Committee participated in the discussion at the Tri-Board meeting. At the end of the meeting the Finance Committee decided to continue their meeting to discuss whether a debt exclusion or override was the best mechanism for the Town after a quick break starting at 8:01PM. 3. Items Not Anticipated 48 hours in advance The Finance Committee returned at 8:12PM to continue their discussion. Ms. Loukos had left the meeting and was now on virtually via GoToWebinar. Ms. Walsh stated that the Committee is going to have a discussion based on what was heard during the Tri- Board meeting and whether the Town should to go for an override or a debt exclusion. She also believed there was consensus on the $2M amount. She stated that she would like to also recommend that cost cutting measures need to be part of the long-term planning. Mr. Feely stated that he liked the debt exclusion option because it is different than what has previously been proposed and it is not permanent. He stated that it shows a new idea and creativity and it will be new people speaking at Town Meeting and a new opportunity may have more success. Mr. Martin disagreed with Mr. Feely and stated that having the new Town Manager, Ms. Aronstein, come before Town Meeting for first time and present a debt exclusion that has only successfully passed by one town this past December is not a good plan. He stated that there is no long-term analysis as to whether this effects future debt exclusions or overrides. Mr. Martin stated that Mr. Reinke stated that an override is best option but a debt exclusion is better than nothing. Dr. Tarsi-Goldfien stated that she would be in favor of a debt exclusion 'if that was also talked about last year however, she commented that it is going to look like "old cornflakes in a new box." She stated that she would support what is decided as a group, but it needs to be clearly articulated. Mr. Cooney stated that he was torn about the options and stated that the Select Board can take our advice or not. He also noted that he thinks Ms. Aronstein can handle it either way and that should not influence the Committee's decision. Mr. Martin stated that if there were several times of debt exclusions being done in the past it could be a viable option but it is too new and only done once. Dr. Tarsi-Goldfien commented that as the Finance Committee they need to make the best decision for the long-term health of the Town. Ms. Loukos agreed with Dr. Tarsi- Goldfien that an override is the right decision for this year. Ms. Walsh summarized what has been discussed and that is that the town needs infusion of money and it sounds like the majority want the operation override because it is financially better for the Town. Everyone was in agreement. She then stated that if the Select Board chooses to go with a debt exclusion, then the Committee would also support that decision. Ms. Walsh also thought she would like to include in the recommendation that unemployment costs should come from stabilization or free cash. Mr. Martin then asked Mr. Reinke what the snow and ice budget was negative $300,000 prior to the blizzard. He noted that there may be funds coming from the State to help with the costs. He anticipates that the full cost of the blizzard could be $500,000 to $1M as snow removal still continues. He stated that crews are still trying to widen roads and they will be hauling the snow out of the downtown. Mr. Monticello stated that the snow and ice budget can go in a deficit into the next year. Motion: Recommend a $2M increase to tax levy to support the budget and the Finance Committee is recommending an operation override as the best option financially but will support either option of the operational override or debt exclusion. The Finance Committee also strongly recommends the Town and Schools work on cost cutting measures and if unemployment costs are needed it is recommended to use one-time sources of funds if possible. (Martin/Tarsi-Goldfien) Roll Call Vote: Walsh —Yes Feely —Yes Tarsi-Goldfien — Yes Martin —Yes Passes 7:0 Lou kos—Yes Cooney —Yes 4. Adjourn Finance Committee Adjourn: Motion: To adjourn the Finance Committee Meeting of February 26, 2026 at 8:30PM. (Feely/Cooney) Roll C?II Vote: Walsh —Yes Feely — Yes Loukos— Yes Cooney —Yes Tarsi-Goldfien—Yes Martin — Yes Passes 7:0 Q LJ_" Signature Minutes prepared by Carrie Champagne Date