by John Osborn ·
Friday, August 16, 2024
The state’s fiscal 2025 budget, signed into law by Gov. Maura Healey July 19, held few surprises for Harvard’s financial planners.
In line with the forecasts provided at this year’s Annual Town Meeting in April, general state aid for local government increased by 3% over fiscal 2024 to $1,083,506, and Chapter 70 aid to schools increased 4% to $2,288,491.
Once state assessments are included, the overall impact to the budget, according to an Aug. 2 email from Finance Director Jared Mullane to the Select Board, is a decrease in net revenue of $10,000. But the latest fiscal 2025 budget recap now forecasts a slight surplus of $2,616.
In other fiscal news, former Town Administrator Tim Bragan told the board last Tuesday that he, Mullane, and Department of Public Works Director Tim Kilhart had found a way to pay for a part-time (19 hours per week) administrative assistant at the DPW within the bounds of the department’s fiscal 2025 budget. That position was included in the tier 2 Proposition 2½ budget override that failed to pass at Town Election. Bragan said that Kilhart and new Town Administrator Dan Nason would fill the position within the next two months. Bragan is staying on until Aug. 30 to help Nason learn the job.