Override Prep Begins in Earnest in Franklin

Since last year’s defeat of the tax-overide proposal in Franklin, the town’s fiscal predicament has not improved but what to do about that has been the puzzle. Cuts are an obvious option but both the schools and the rest of the town’s departments claim they are already operating at their minimum level: further cuts would have consequences both noticeable and severe.

So, the Joint Budget Subcommittee, the ad hoc body composed of members of the school committee, town council and finance committee have laid out a series of meetings for the public aimed at either building support for an override or getting voters accustomed to the idea of getting less from their schools and other public services, ranging from EMTs to library programs.

The flyer says “Join us for open discussion on the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget, feedback on last year’s override ballot question, the structural deficit this comping year, and the priorities of the community.”

Members include David McNeil, Paul Griffith, and Ruthann O’Sullivan from the School Commititee, Tom Mercer, Brian Chandler, Melanie Hamblen, and Cobi Frongillo from the Town Council, and George Conley, Natalie Riley, Nicole Corbosiero, and Lauren Nagel from the Finance Committee.

The events scheduled include:

Session 1: Jan 30, Franklin Elks 7pm
Session 2: Feb 12, Remington-Jefferson Cafetorium, 628 Washington St. 7 pm
Session 3: Feb 19, Franklin Senior Center, Common Grounds Cafe, 10 Daniel McCahill, 7 pm
Session 4: Mar 4, Franklin Senior Center, Common Grounds Cafe, 10 Daniel McCahill, 9:30 am (coffee and light refreshments provided)
Session 5: Mar 8, Franklin Municipal Bulding, Council Chambers, 355 East Central, 10 am (Virtual and in-person participation options)
Session 6: Mar 12, Franklin High School Auditorium, 7 pm.

More information can
be found here: https://www.franklinma.gov/town-budget