Brookline Town Meeting Approves $365.5 Million Budget

BROOKLINE, MA — The town's legislative body Thursday approved a $365.5 million budget, which is up. 4.8 percent from what it was last year. The approval came after two nights of deliberation at the annual Town Meeting.

Members of the town's financial board, the Advisory Committee, said federal aid, rising vaccination rates and falling COVID-19 cases have helped provide some relief for the town that is working under the economic pressures of the pandemic.

"This year's budget reflects just as much hard work, but perhaps less anguish than last year," Advisory Committee Chair Mike Sandman said during Town Meeting Wednesday.

The pandemic cost the town about $6 million in revenue from licensing, permitting or associated fees, Sandman said. The fiscal 2022 budget assumes that revenue will come back as the state and town reopen.

The school department had to address the cost of tech to facilitate remote learning and health and safety measures.

“This certainly has been an interesting and challenging year, to say the least. The pandemic presented us with challenges that really tested all of us," Interim Superintendent Dr. Jim Marini said. "As we dealt with these daunting challenges, there were significant costs that we incurred."

The school budget will be just under $128.2 million. Some 85 percent of the revenue is going to salaries.

The Police Department budget is slightly down this year at $17.5 million, for fiscal years 2021 and 2020 it was around $17.7

Previous town budgets:

• 2019: $320.5 million
• 2020: $335.4 million
• 2021: $348.8 million
• 2022: $365.5 million