After the conclusion of Wednesday night’s meetings of the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee, the budget currently stands in the following position ahead of the May 27th meeting.
Major changes included a reduction to the Veterans’ Benefits line item by $20,000 from the Finance Committee, followed by an additional $10,000 reduction by the Board of Selectmen. The Town of Berkley currently has no veterans receiving Chapter 115 assistance, which is a means-tested program administered under Massachusetts law. More information regarding the program can be found here: Massachusetts Chapter 115 Benefits Program
Additionally, the Berkley Board of Selectmen and Library Trustees offered to remove their salaries from the budget. The resulting surplus was transferred into the Berkley K–8 operating budget, which concluded deliberations approximately $40,000 higher than where the evening began.
The Board of Selectmen also agreed to utilize an additional $50,000 from EMS Receipts Reserved and increased EMS call staffing funding by the same amount.
Budget deliberations to continue at the next scheduled Board of Selectmen’s meeting on Wednesday, May 27th, 2026 at 6:00PM in the Moitoza-Pettey Hearing Room in Berkley Town Hall.