The Hudson Budget Committee took its first detailed look at the town’s proposed fiscal year 2027-28 budget on Oct. 10, receiving an overview from Town Administrator Roy Sorenson and hearing an initial departmental presentation from Rodgers Memorial Library.
Sorenson described the proposal as a preliminary budget designed to maintain existing town services while accounting for rising costs and contractual obligations.
“I’m also privileged to present this budget tonight on behalf of the Board of Selectmen,” Sorenson said. “This budget maintains existing services, recognizing contractual obligations, employee benefits, and other unavoidable cost pressures.”
Sorenson explained that after accounting for labor costs, employee benefits, and utilities, officials worked to keep the operating budget essentially level while incorporating certain out-of-budget expenses and adjustments to overtime funding.
The current draft budget totals approximately $43.56 million, though Sorenson emphasized that several key figures, including health insurance costs, have not yet been finalized.
“The number here tonight that we developed was $43.563 million, with healthcare as the wild card,” he said.
According to Sorenson, maintaining current service levels could require an increase of approximately 5.5 percent in spending. He noted that utility costs remain particularly difficult to predict due to ongoing economic uncertainty.
“There’s a huge variance in some of the numbers just because of everything that’s going on today in the state of the world,” Sorenson said.
The presentation also included discussion of several potential warrant articles, including proposals to fund two additional police officers and create a full-time prosecutor position. However, many of those proposals do not yet have finalized cost estimates, and additional warrant articles may be added in the coming months.
Following the budget overview, committee members began hearing from individual departments.
Chris Sweeney, interim director of Rodgers Memorial Library, presented the library’s proposed operating budget, which reflects a decrease of 1.3 percent from the current year.
“The library’s operating budget reflects a decrease of 1.3 percent,” Sweeney said. “This was achieved with cuts to several lines, as well as a decrease associated with the Hills Memorial Library building being returned to the town.”
Sweeney emphasized the library’s role in the community and the importance of maintaining professional services for residents.
“Successful public libraries are considered an indicator of a healthy and vital community,” she said. “We are determined to advocate for the Hudson community by providing a professional and committed library staff.”
Budget Committee member Donna Boucher praised the library for reducing spending despite increasing costs and the Board of Selectmen’s request for departments to pursue level-funded budgets where possible.
“A reduction in the operating budget is appreciated,” Boucher said.
Sweeney noted that the proposal still includes a modest cost-of-living increase for library employees.
Committee member Bob Wherry questioned a proposed increase in the library’s education assistance account, which showed a year-over-year increase of 150 percent.
“When you go 150%, it does look humongous,” Wherry said, asking for an explanation and whether the benefit applied to full-time employees.
Sweeney explained that the increase reflects a larger number of staff members pursuing postgraduate library science degrees and seeking financial assistance through the program.
“When you go 150% it does look humongous, but it is $2,000 to $5,000, and it will help support the staff in their professional development,” she said. “The benefit is for anyone in the library pursuing their master’s degree.”
Budget discussions are expected to continue in the coming weeks as department heads present their spending requests and the committee works toward developing a recommended budget for voters.