Budget Task Force

The Truro Charter 7-1-2 requires the establishment of the Budget Task Force each year. A Budget Task Force shall be formed on or before December 15 of each year. The Budget Task Force shall consist of two (2) members of the Finance Committee, two (2) members of the Select Board, the Town Accountant, and the Town Manager. It shall be the charge of the Budget Task Force to review with department heads individual budgets.

Budget Priorities and Transparency

The following items have been identified by the Select Board as priorities for the FY2026 budget cycle:

• Debt service for major Capital Projects
• Collective Bargaining Agreements
• Human Resource Coordinator
• Investment in water resource infrastructure and planning

The town is facing several constraints this year due to rising prices for goods and personnel costs, lower local receipts, and major infrastructure needs. You can learn more about these constraints in the letter issued by the Select Board at its October 22 meeting.

Based on feedback from the past several budget cycles, the Finance team and the Administration have implemented changes that we hope will further increase transparency and engagement:

1. This year, we are expanding on the budget review process by publishing on a website via ClearGov. Staff has already used the tool to produce the FY2025 Adopted Budget Book, available HERE.
2. We are also utilizing draft Financial Policies, which I describe briefly in the next section, to help guide the budget process. For example, revenue and expenditure projections will be included in the first Budget Task Force meeting.
3. Finally, we are starting the Budget Task Force a full month earlier than last year, with the first meeting on Tuesday, December 3 at 8:30 am.

How can you get involved in budget making?

By and large, the Truro community is engaged in the budget process as evidenced by the major aspects of the process: the 7+ Budget Task Force meetings are recorded and attended by the public; the Select Board and Finance Committee both review the budget in separate and combined meetings throughout February and March; line item proposals are posted online along with qualitative information to help highlight the major aspects of each department’s operations; and of course, the budget itself is voted on by the legislature at Town Meeting.

The most important step you can take is to interact with your Truro Town Government in countless ways throughout the year. To put another way, to ‘vote with your feet’ by enjoying the services the town provides. This sends a signal to department heads about what services are most important.

At the same time, there are ways you can get involved directly: you can read each department’s proposed budget on ClearGov; attend a Tuesday morning Budget Task Force meeting, Select Board, or Finance Committee meeting (schedules will be posted on the Budget Task Force page); send a comment on the Budget Task Force website; attend a Coffee Hour with the Town Manager; engage during the Wednesday, December 18 Facebook Live presentation at 12:30 pm; or reach out to a Select Board member. (And if you want to get even more involved, consider joining a committee!)  

Budget Task Force Meetings start on Tuesday, December 3 at 8:30 am. The schedule is HERE. The Digital Budget Book can be found HERE.