Dudley officials are preparing for difficult financial decisions after voters rejected a Proposition 2½ override in May, leaving the town to address significant budget shortfalls while maintaining essential municipal services.

During the June 29 Select Board meeting, Town Administrator Jonathan Ruda provided an update on the town’s financial outlook as staff work to close out Fiscal Year 2026 and prepare for a supplemental budget expected to be presented at a Special Town Meeting this October.

Town officials anticipate ending FY2026 close to budget, but Ruda said the town does not expect a significant amount of free cash to be certified that could be used to offset budget challenges later this year.

“The defeat of the override has fundamentally changed our financial outlook,” Ruda said. “The town must now focus on balancing essential services with the revenues available, while planning for a supplemental budget later this year.”

The Fiscal Year 2027 budget, approved at the May Annual Town Meeting, was balanced without eliminating any full-time public safety positions. Instead, the town relied on reserve funds to achieve a balanced budget.

However, Ruda cautioned that the approved budget includes the elimination of three part-time positions beginning in July, along with significant reductions throughout town services.

Among the reductions are cuts to fire department overtime, fill-in and per-diem staffing, fuel, ambulance-related expenses, police department overtime, fuel, animal control services, training, computer expenses and other operational accounts.

Additional reductions include eliminating some administrative support, removing a vacant truck driver/laborer position, reducing overtime, eliminating the IT cybersecurity consultant line item, reducing software maintenance and licensing costs, cutting the legal budget, and reducing funding for compliance and regulatory services, stormwater management, dams and energy programs.

Throughout the discussion, the select board emphasized that the impacts of the budget reductions are already being felt across multiple departments.

Police Chief Marek Karlowicz outlined how reductions to overtime, fuel and vacation buyback funding will limit the department’s ability to conduct proactive policing initiatives. 

Fire and EMS officials reported that staffing levels are already at minimum operational requirements and that mandatory state training, certification and compliance standards leave little flexibility for additional budget reductions without affecting service.

Ruda recommended that the select board begin developing a strategy now for the October Special Town Meeting, where a supplemental budget is expected to be considered. He encouraged the board to provide directions in the coming weeks so that decisions can be made before the effects of the current budget reductions become more significant.

The select board will continue budget discussions at its July 13 meeting.

 – Submitted by Debbie LaPlaca, Town of Dudley