Millis Finance Committee Clears $48.2 Million Budget for Annual Town Meeting Vote

MILLIS — April 29, 2026 — Millis Finance Committee endorses $48.2 million FY2027 budget and recommends approval on all 24 annual town meeting warrant articles. Meeting Wednesday night, the seven-member committee conducted a pre-town meeting review ahead of the May 4 annual town meeting at Millis High School, with Chair John Laur noting the balanced budget reflects a 3.5 percent increase and that host community agreement funds supporting social work services, extended library hours, and a school resource officer will be exhausted after this fiscal year. The largest capital item is a $1,286,633 borrowing authorization for a town-wide water meter replacement program requiring a two-thirds supermajority at town meeting. A $200,000 Community Preservation Act appropriation to support 48 permanently affordable rental units at 1178 Main Street and a contested zoning definitions article on battery energy storage systems and data centers drew the most audience questions. Town Administrator Michael Gazinski clarified that front-line police cruisers and command vehicles are budgeted and maintained on separate cycles, explaining a roughly $3,000 price difference between the two vehicle types on the warrant.