Deerfield Finance Committee Cuts Library Budget to State-Required Minimum

DEERFIELD — March 9, 2026 — Deerfield Finance Committee sets Tilton Library budget at state minimum, exposing a $180,000 town revenue gap. The committee voted 3-0-2 to recommend $230,232 for the Tilton Library (account 610-5400) — the lowest appropriation permitted under the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners Municipal Appropriation Requirement — after moving $53,870 in electricity and building maintenance costs to the town building maintenance account. Member Mark Brennan, who moved the amendment, said his goal was to "have control over the growth" of the library's budget baseline, while acknowledging the committee was making "a net increase in our budget" overall. An earlier amendment to strip out the utility and maintenance lines passed 4-0-1 before the final vote. The committee also cleared six other departmental budgets unanimously, including a $44,678 Franklin Regional Council of Governments assessment and a $36,694 part-time Recreation Department director salary. Chair Julie Chalfant reported the town currently runs roughly $180,000 short of balancing its budget, with snow and ice costs approximately $87,000 over budget, and Frontier Regional School's assessment down nearly $80,000 from its public-hearing figure due to lower-than-projected health insurance increases.