Shutesbury Finance Committee projects $543 average tax-bill increase for FY27

Finance Committee · Meeting of February 23, 2026

Shutesbury's Finance Committee warned Monday that the average single-family tax bill could rise by $543 in fiscal year 2027, down from a baseline projection of $851. Finance Committee Chair AJ Cashew and member George Argonaitis presented a preliminary operating budget of $8,464,539 — a 9.1 percent increase over FY26 — driven by a $114,000 jump in out-of-district special-education placement costs, a 20 percent health-insurance increase, new library debt service, and new PFAS debt repayment. The committee proposed applying $194,000 in free-cash reserves and making roughly $86,000 in targeted cuts to reduce the tax impact, while preserving all department service levels.

Cashew warned the town has already drawn down nearly half of its $863,000 excess levy capacity over two budget years, saying "if we continue to have budget years like the last two, we will run out of excess levy capacity" and face override territory. Finance Committee member Susie Mosier called the situation "a funding problem, not a spending problem," pointing to a $60 million rural-aid target that the governor's budget funds at only $20 million.

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Source: the Finance Committee meeting of February 23, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.