Belmont Launches FY28 Budget Planning Process

Select Board_ Budget Summit · Meeting of October 22, 2026

Belmont held the first of three FY28 budget summits, warning a new override will likely be needed in fiscal 2029. Town Administrator Patrice Garvin and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Leibian told the joint Select Board, School Committee and Warrant Committee session that the $8.4 million override approved in 2024 will stretch to a fourth year, through fiscal 2028, after the town certified $6.8 million in free cash in October. Multi-Year Budget Advisory Committee Chair Tom Caputo said a future override would fall "in the range of 8 to $10 million," though he called it "ultimately a policy decision by the Select Board." Garvin said health insurance premiums rose 24 percent this year before the town's move to the state Group Insurance Commission, which officials hope will cut future increases closer to 6 percent.

No formal votes were taken on budget matters.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,547 words

Source: the Select Board_ Budget Summit meeting of October 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.