Hatfield Boards Defer FY2020 Budget, Will Reconvene Before Town Meeting

HATFIELD -- May 7, 2019, Hatfield Select Board and Finance Committee defer FY2020 budget vote, citing unresolved spreadsheet discrepancy. The two boards met jointly on May 7 at the William Belton Training Room and confirmed a revised free cash figure of $404,000, up from an earlier estimate of $322,000, but could not reconcile the town accountant's levy-capacity calculation of roughly $259,000 against their own parallel figures, leaving approximately $83,000 in discretionary free cash unallocated. The Finance Committee voted unanimously to recommend 19 warrant articles it characterized as necessary for fiscal soundness, while deferring action on a proposed seven-year, $302,000 ambulance lease and a $25,000 appropriation request from the town's 350th anniversary committee. The boards will hold a conference call with town accountant Justin on Wednesday at 1 p.m. and reconvene jointly Thursday at 6:30 p.m., with Town Meeting set for May 14 at Smith Academy.