The Lynnfield Finance Committee is composed of 11 volunteer members who are appointed by either the Select Board or the Town Moderator for overlapping 3-year terms. The charge of the Finance Committee is to analyze annual expenditure requests and make budget recommendations to our community. In making its recommendations, the Finance Committee develops objective verification that expenditure requests meet the needs of the Town’s residents.
After careful review, the Finance Committee unanimously recommends the FY 26 Override Contingent Operating Budget of $77,038,620.00, as put forth to our residents by the Select Board. The Finance Committee has worked transparently and collaboratively, taking input from department heads, the Town Administrator, the School Superintendent, and other key stakeholders. We’ve based our recommendations on the best information available from the professionals the town has hired to deliver essential services.
The Finance Committee believes this proposed Operating Budget strikes a careful balance between fiscal responsibility and the investment needed to maintain the high-quality services that make Lynnfield a vibrant and desirable community for our residents. We firmly believe that a request below this amount will not sustain the town into a second year without significant reductions in these services or an additional override. Providing our department heads and employees with a predictable, stable funding environment is not only essential for day-to-day operations — it is also how we attract and retain the kind of talent our town deserves.
In response to our call at last year’s Town Meeting, DPW Director John Scenna has led the successful creation of our first comprehensive 5-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). This vital document, which will be updated annually, serves as a strategic roadmap for Lynnfield’s infrastructure investments. The CIP identifies $29.2 million in capital needs over the next five years, highlighting a history of underinvestment in our town’s infrastructure. While we cannot address all these needs immediately, this plan provides a clear framework for prioritizing and addressing our most critical capital requirements in the years ahead. Without this long-term planning tool, we risk costly emergency repairs, deteriorating infrastructure, and potentially higher long-term expenses. The CIP helps us anticipate and plan for major expenditures such as building maintenance, road improvements, equipment replacement, and technology upgrades. This proactive approach allows us to make more informed decisions about resource allocation, explore grant opportunities, and potentially secure better financing terms for necessary improvements. Most importantly, it helps ensure that our community’s assets are maintained properly for current and future generations of Lynnfield residents.
Addressing our financial challenges requires long-term strategic planning. With most major expenses committed through multi-year contracts, relying on short-term solutions would force us to choose between staff reductions or service cuts — neither of which serves our community’s best interests. The Finance Committee believes the town must look at longer-term initiatives as a measure to control expense growth. Our financial analysis shows a concerning trend: the rate of expense growth continues to outpace our revenue growth. This structural imbalance, if left unaddressed, will likely require future tax overrides to maintain current service levels. This reality underscores the importance of implementing long-term strategic solutions now.
Our commitment is to work alongside department leaders to identify and implement sustainable cost-control measures, with the goal of maintaining quality services while reducing our reliance on tax overrides in future years. These recommendations span several key initiatives: implementing shared IT and HR services across departments; optimizing golf operations revenue; aligning fees with service costs for community programs and rentals; collaborating on healthcare cost containment; systematically pursuing grants; formalizing recognition of private and non-profit support for town facilities; selling excess town properties; exploring regionalization opportunities with neighboring communities; and evaluating new revenue sources such as trash, activity, and stormwater management fees. These initiatives aim to enhance efficiency, maximize existing resources, and explore new funding avenues to stabilize our town’s finances.
Effective budgeting requires year-round engagement, not just annual deliberations. While we’ve made progress in our processes this year, we must continue to strengthen public engagement and inter-committee collaboration. To enhance transparency and planning, we propose three annual joint meetings between the Finance Committee, Select Board, and School Committee. The first of these meetings will occur in June to review the budget cycle and process improvements, in the fall to evaluate Capital Improvement Planning, and in December to assess budget drivers and financial projections.
Our proposed budget timeline reflects our commitment to year-round financial planning and oversight. This systematic approach, with clear deadlines and defined responsibilities, promotes transparency and accountability in managing our town’s finances. As your Finance Committee, we remain dedicated to ensuring Lynnfield’s financial strength and stability, working tirelessly to preserve and enhance the exceptional quality of life that makes our town a special place to live, work, and raise our families.
Lynnfield Finance Committee
Nick Connors
Gene Covino
Matt Curtis
Kristen Dorsky
Tom Kayola
Sarah Kelley
Bill Ketelhut
Tony Marino
Julie Mitchell
Brian Moreira
Rob Nickerson
