North Andover Finance Committee Unanimously Recommends FY27 Budget With Sustainability Warning

NORTH ANDOVER — March 25, 2026 — North Andover Finance Committee unanimously backs FY27 budget but warns of unsustainable trajectory. The five-member committee voted unanimously to recommend a favorable vote on the fiscal year 2027 operating budget at town meeting, but members agreed the approval will be accompanied by a stark written warning. Finance Director Dennis Goein confirmed the school department plans to draw approximately $3.1 million in circuit breaker special education reimbursement funding in FY27 — well above the historical norm of $2.2 to $2.5 million — leaving an estimated $1 million in reserve by fiscal year's end, down from a projected $2.8 million at the close of FY26. Members flagged declining school enrollment against a budget rising at roughly 6.5 percent annually, and one member described the town-side operating plan as "a reduced-services budget" after years of public safety and public works departments holding flat to free up school funding. Community Preservation Committee Chair John Simons also presented the CPC's FY27 project slate — including $350,000 for athletic field amenities and an accessibility-focused Franklin School playground — with a Finance Committee vote on those recommendations deferred to a meeting being scheduled for the week of April 6, ahead of the April 10 warrant deadline.