LETTER: "there may still be a lack of clarity"

To the Editor, and my Franklin neighbors:

After recently
having discussions with other Franklin residents regarding Franklin’s
Fiscal Year 2026 budget deficit and upcoming Proposition 2 ½
override vote, I’ve learned there may still be a lack of clarity
regarding the details of Franklin’s budget deficit, and which
services will be affected should the upcoming budget override vote
fail.

There is a wealth
of important information regarding the FY2026 budget and override,
which can easily be found on the main page of the Official Franklin
website (franklinma.gov). This should be considered the primary
source of legitimate information regarding Franklin’s budgets
and override information. I suggest that all Franklin voters review
this information, which is the result of countless hours of work by
Franklin’s administration, town council, school committee, finance
committee, school administration, various other departments, and
probably many others. This work has been compiled in one location
online, in order to be easily accessed, for the purpose of informing
Franklin residents regarding the June 3rd override vote.

I would like to
share a few budget-related and override-related facts taken from the
information available online:

• The current
  FY2026 “Level Service” budget represents a structural deficit of
  $3,862,672. This is the amount of the override, in order to balance
  the proposed budget; it represents additional funds required beyond
  the standard 2.5% year-over-year tax increase, in order to maintain
  the level of services that we have today. That includes funding for
  schools, police, fire, EMS, DPW, library, senior center and
  additional resources. (2 exceptions to level funding include an
  assistant added to the Board of Assessors and 8 restored public
  school positions which were cut last year.) Please note, the $3.863
  million amount requested is considerably less than the $6.8 million
  override amount requested last year.
• Franklin
  Public School administration, staff, and the Franklin School
  Committee have worked for months to reorganize the entire school
  system for next year, consolidating schools and reducing 29
  teachers, staff, administrators and supplies, resulting in an
  estimated $3,152,805 of savings for Franklin taxpayers!
• The
  additional real estate tax generated by the Proposition 2 ½
  Override vote on the average value home is estimated to add $312 per
  household annually – adding less than 86 cents per day to the
  average household tax bill.
• Should the
  override not pass, there will be numerous layoffs and supply
  reductions across various Franklin departments. The impact of more
  layoffs and reduced expenses will surely be felt by most, if not all
  Franklin residents, through reductions in services.
• These are
  the proposed budget cuts by department, should the override vote
  fail:

• Schools:
  $2,085,843 reduction – represents 54% of the deficit, and would
  result in multiple reductions in staff and expenses, on top of the
  cuts from last year.
• DPW:
  $400,000 reduction – represents reductions in road construction/
  maintenance, sidewalk maintenance, plowing, school maintenance, and
  various other items.
• Police:
  $250,000 reduction – represents elimination of 2 positions plus
  expenses
• Fire:
  $250,000 reduction – represents elimination of 2 positions plus
  expenses, and likely eliminates the recently-added 3rd
  ambulance.
• Facilities:
  $409,208 reduction – Implement savings from redistricting
• Town Staff:
  $250,000 reduction – Reduce several municipal staff.
• MECC:
  $400,000 reduction – Use of one-time town stabilization funds to
  help fill the budget gap (rainy day funds).
• Benefits:
  $350,000 reduction – Reduce OPEB (retiree benefits) liability
  payment for 2nd consecutive year.
• Library:
  $50,000 reduction – Reduce hours, expenses and staff
• Board of
  Assessors: $60,231 reduction – Eliminate new staff position

Last year most of
Franklin’s departments were forced to make painful cuts in
personnel and/or expenses in order to close the budget gap. The
current FY2026 proposed budget maintains the current level of
municipal services that we have come to depend on: police, fire, EMS
and DPW personnel who bravely keep us safe and healthy, teachers and
librarians who make and keep us well-educated, and our wonderful
senior center and recreation department, which provide meals, spaces,
physical and emotional support to residents of all ages, incomes and
abilities!

These are the
valuable services that make living in Franklin something we can, and
should continue to enjoy and be proud of! Let’s not take them for
granted!

Please join me in
voting YES on or before June 3rd!

Sincerely and
respectfully,

Mark Minnichelli

Concerned
Franklin citizen

31 Longfellow
Drive, Franklin