Budget, budget and in May, there is more budget (audio)

Budget, budget and in May, there is more budget before it gets finalized in June

You should recall that April (April 6 - April 9) saw the Finance Committee (FinCom) spend 16+ hours going over the budget with each department. Some of the FinCom members thought that they would be able to avoid using much of the proposed $2M in free cash to balance the budget. 

Alas, they did not. If my notes and math come close, they do propose use of $1.8M.

There is one big number outstanding, in that with May 1 behind us (and health care enrollments complete), the cost for coverage provided by the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) plans will be revealed later this month.  Maybe by the time the Town Council conducts their budget hearings (May 20 & 21), but more likely by the next FinCom meeting, May 27. 

So what will the Council budget hearings reveal? 

Will they agree with the budget as proposed, or make adjustments of their own? 

The FY 2027 budget narrative is being published, one section per day (started April 13) and it may not be completed by the time the Council hearings actually roll around. That is a whole lot of reading material. Many questions that were asked and answered during the FinCom hearings were actually detailed in the FY 2027 budget narrative. 

All this in preparation for the June 10 Town Council meeting and vote to approve whatever will be as the FY 2027 budget. Read to be informed. Follow along with the meetings as the discussions progress.

The listing of the agendas for the meetings scheduled this week are provided below.

For all the meetings and cultural events, check out the calendar at Franklin.news where each day, that day's events are posted on the top of the page, the TV and radio schedules are on the bottom, and all the other goodness falls in-between.

Audio link -  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1738-fm-weekly-outlook-lookback-combo-05-03-26/

*** Meeting schedule and agendas as of Town pages 5/01/26, 7:30 PM   ***

The FY 2027 budget documents can be found  https://www.franklinma.gov/Archive.aspx?ADID=577

250th Anniversary Celebration Budget Subcommittee Meeting

Sunday, May 3 Time: 7:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05032026-2290 

Franklin School Committee Contractual Negotiations Meeting (Executive Session)

Tuesday, May 5 Time: 4:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05052026-2254 

250th Anniversary Celebration Committee - Communications Subcommittee

Tuesday, May 5 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05052026-2278 

Board of Health Meeting

Wednesday, May 6 Time: 5:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05062026-2246 

Franklin Commission on Disability

Thursday, May 7 Time: 4:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05072026-2279 

Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School - Board of Trustees Meeting

Thursday, May 7 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05072026-2286 

Conservation Commission Meeting

Thursday, May 7 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/593?fileID=9052 

*** Looking back at the week that was ***

Town & School meetings

• The Town Council Communications Subcommittee met at noon on Monday, April 27. The recap and video link can be found https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/04/town-councils-communication-subcmte.html 

• The Planning Board met at 7 PM also on Monday, April 27. The video can be found  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrsNen5JHwY

FHS live streaming

• FHS girls varsity lacrosse vs. Stoughton  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWiduiFPVCk

• FHS Softball vs. Milford  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyTvQzw9mew&t=1496s

• FHS boys lacrosse vs. Mansfield     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y69yUPnzVZA&t=1015s

 

Radio - Podcast Interviews published this week 

• FM #1730 - Testimonials at SAFE Gala - 04/17/26  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1730-testimonials-at-safe-gala-04-17-26 

• FM #1731 - A Dance with the Cosmos - Interview with author Marc D Cohen- 04/24/26  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1731-a-dance-with-the-cosmos-04-24-26 

• FM #1733 - Franklin Public Library May 2026 Highlights - 04/21/26  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1733-franklin-public-library-may-2026-highlights-04-21-26 

• FM #1735 - Franklin (MA) Kevin Harn - Facilities Dept - 04/28/26  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1735-franklin-ma-kevin-harn-facilities-dept-04-28-26 

For all the meetings and cultural events, check out the calendar at Franklin.news where each day, that day's events are posted on the top of the page, the TV and radio schedules are on the bottom, and all the other goodness falls in-between.

Town calendar -> https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx      

Community calendar -> https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar     

Subscribe for the daily dose of information -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/welcome.html      

Subscribe for the weekly dose of information -> https://www.franklinmattersweekly.org/p/subscribe-for-email.html  

The budget discussion blossoms

Spring is here, the budget discussion blossoms. The trees are budding and will shortly start filling out with their leaf cover. 

The Finance Committee spent 16+ hours reviewing the FY 2027 budget and will bring their findings to the Town Council hearings in May and to the Joint Budget Subcmte meeting this week.

The School Committee meets on Tuesday and is scheduled for a District and School improvement plan update.

The Town Council meets on Wednesday and is scheduled for presentations from NationalGrid, as well as the Police & Fire Departments where the Council will get some background and updates on those key public safety operations.

The Joint Budget Subcommittee gets to meet for the first time in this new set of terms with new membership from the Finance Committee, School Committee and Town Council. They get a grounding in the FY 2027 budget approach and as mentioned, an update from the FinCom on what they have found and will recommend to the Council.

The 250th Anniversary celebration has a subcommittee meeting on Sunday and another subcommittee meeting on Wednesday. The ZBA is not holding a meeting on Thursday.

Thursday morning at the Senior Center local town officials will meet for an informal discussion and coffee.

 

For all the meetings and cultural events, check out the calendar at Franklin.news where each day, that day's events are posted on the top of the page, the TV and radio schedules are on the bottom, and all the other goodness falls in-between.

Audio link - https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1714-fm-weekly-outlook-lookback-combo-04-12-26/

*** Meeting schedule and agendas as of Town pages 4/10/26, 10:00 PM   ***

250th Anniversary Celebration Budget and Fundraising Subcommittee Meeting

Sunday, April 12 Time: 7:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04122026-2248 

Franklin School Committee Contractual Negotiations Meeting - Executive Session

Monday, April 13 Time: 4:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04132026-2197 

Franklin School Committee Meeting

Tuesday, April 14 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04142026-2250 

Town Council Meeting

Wednesday, April 15 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04152026-2251 

250th Anniversary Celebration Subcommittee on Events and Logistics Meeting

Wednesday, April 15 Time: 7:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04152026-2245 

Town Council Monthly Office Hours

Thursday, April 16 Time: 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM

Joint Budget Subcommittee Meeting

Thursday, April 16 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04162026-2252 

ZBA Meeting-no meeting

Thursday, April 16 Time: 7:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04162026-2236 

*** Looking back at the week that was ***

Town/School meetings

The Finance Committee spent 16+ hours reviewing, questioning, and deliberating on the FY 2027 budget over 4 nights. The YouTube videos are available on the TV Town Hall Channel. The meeting recap for each  session is available at Franklin.News

Monday, April 6  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7KSV5MTfHs&t=140s

Tuesday, April 7  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SrQw4jc-r0 

Wednesday, April 8  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8Hb_pCl64A&t=164s 

Thursday, April 9   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oIsBHQ73Ts&t=1170s 

The Planning Board met on Monday and the video is available on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyyk7XtPsLM

The Conservation Commission met on Thursday and the video is available on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDH7mr4BEbw&t=1s 

FHS sports live streaming

Girls lacrosse vs Taunton  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i81AGqEiQxk

Girls softball vs North Attleboro  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCcxtb2IKkg&t=192s 

All Access Programs

Frank Falvey interviews Jason Poulos, a candidate for US House of Representatives, District 4 in Democratic primary in Sept 2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtiVLSvBe64 

For all the meetings and cultural events, check out the calendar at Franklin.news where each day, that day's events are posted on the top of the page, the TV and radio schedules are on the bottom, and all the other goodness falls in-between.

Town calendar -> https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx      

Community calendar -> https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar     

Subscribe for the daily dose of information -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/welcome.html      

Subscribe for the weekly dose of information -> https://www.franklinmattersweekly.org/p/subscribe-for-email.html  

Your Franklin (MA) news for the week of March 22, 2026 (less than 5 minutes - audio)

The snow has mostly disappeared and signs of spring are budding around us

The Planning Board is scheduled to meet on Monday. Key discussion around the minor zoning bylaw adjustments needed; 2 for the Crossing Neighborhood District and 2 for the final changes required to bring our changes into compliance with the MBTA Communities effort. 

The Town Council is anticipated to have a detailed discussion when they come back to them for their own public hearings and discussion. This would be the first time for any zoning discussions for this Council, and they indicated a willingness to get into details as these 4 measures came up initially to get referred to the Planning Board.

The School Committee returns to a 7 PM timeslot to start on Tuesday which enables their budget subcommittee to meet at 6 PM. Lifelong Community Learning is scheduled for an update to the full committee. (The Town Council just announced their subcommittee structures last week, now they’ll need to find time for their subcommittees to meet.)

The 250 Celebration subcommittee on Events & Logistics planning meets on Wednesday at 7. They have a good list of events on the agenda to open and eventually close the celebration during 2028.

The Conservation Commission is scheduled to meet on Thursday to close out this week of meetings.

For all the meetings and cultural events, check out the calendar at Franklin.news where each day, that day's events are posted on the top of the page, the TV and radio schedules are on the bottom, and all the other goodness falls in-between.

Audio link -  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1692-fm-weekly-outlook-lookback-combo-03-22-26/

*** Meeting schedule and agendas as of Town page 3/20/26, 8:30 PM   ***

Planning Board Meeting

Monday, March 23 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03232026-2196 

Franklin School Committee - Budget Subcommittee Meeting

Tuesday, March 24 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03242026-2200 

Franklin School Committee Meeting

Tuesday, March 24 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03242026-2201 

Council on Aging Board Meeting

Wednesday, March 25 Time: 11:00 AM (agenda added 3/23/26)

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03252026-2204

Franklin Historical Commission        (meeting & agenda added 3/23/26)

Wednesday, March 25     Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03252026-2207

250th Anniversary Celebration Committee Subcommittee on Events & Logistics Meeting

Wednesday, March 25 Time: 7:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03252026-2194 

Franklin 250th Anniversary Committee         (meeting & agenda added 3/23/26)

Thursday, March 26, 2026 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03262026-2208

Conservation Commission Meeting

Thursday, March 26 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/577?fileID=8621 

*** Looking back at the week that was ***

A light meeting week for the live broadcast crew. The Town Council and School Committee met in a joint session on Wednesday. The recap and video is available

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/03/joint-meeting-of-town-council-school.html  The audio should be available shortly.

The Board of Health added a meeting on Wednesday to have a discussion to consider banning some currently unregulated substances that are mind altering. Other communities have begun to take action. The Board next meeting will likely provide additional info and schedule a public hearing to gather input before taking action. The exclusive audio should be ready Sunday at Franklin.news 

Two All Town Showcase concerts were broadcast from FHS

The chorus and orchestra - https://www.youtube.com/live/X0fnL4c5etM?&t=865 

The band - https://www.youtube.com/live/5wgggEBn8iE?&t=204 

On the All Access front, the MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau Symposium held on February 26, 2026 is available for viewing. Lots of good info on the planning for the World Cup included.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WDcHFPfpfU

For all the meetings and cultural events, check out the calendar at Franklin.news where each day, that day's events are posted on the top of the page, the TV and radio schedules are on the bottom, and all the other goodness falls in-between.

Town calendar -> https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx      

Community calendar -> https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar     

Subscribe for the daily dose of information -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/welcome.html      

Subscribe for the weekly dose of information -> https://www.franklinmattersweekly.org/p/subscribe-for-email.html