Budget includes $6M from free cash reserves
Reading, MA — After over two hours and twenty minutes of information and discussion on Monday, Town Meeting approved the Fiscal Year 2026 municipal, school, and enterprise budgets totaling $146,402,720. The amount is a 3.4% increase over the FY 2025 budget.
Chief Financial Officer Sharon Angstrom shared that the municipal budget includes $6 million from free cash reserves in addition to the expected $122.82 million in revenues. The budget also includes $18.56 million for the enterprise funds.
Superintendent of Schools Thomas Milaschewski provided a state of the schools address to provide context for the FY 2026 budget. He shared that Reading Public Schools are fourth in the state for elementary literacy growth. The LEAD program is in the ninety-fifth percentile for language-based programs and is considered a leader and model for METCO districts.
Milaschewski highlighted advances in the day-to-day high school experience, championship extra-curriculars, and improvements in the food service. “Your tax dollars are making a huge impact on students,” said Milaschewski.
Milaschewski also noted areas where the district seeks to create additional revenues, including school choice, expanded METCO participation, and aggressive grant applications. He also spoke of trying to decrease expenditures through early interventions, additional school counselors, and quality in-district special education services. The district proposes adding only one full-time equivalent position in FY 2026 to accommodate tuition-free, full-day kindergarten.
“We are doing everything we can to try to be thoughtful to know what could be coming our way in difficult financial times,” Milaschewski continued.
Town Meeting members expressed concern over increases in insurance costs, other benefits, and the increased use of free cash to balance the budget. Member John Sasso pointed out that free cash was intended as a “rainy day fund” and not as a budget plug. Town Meeting member Mary Anne Downing noted that she expects an operational override to be likely by FY 2029.
It was pointed out that the system was designed to anticipate that an override might be needed every ten years or so. Reading’s last override was in 2018. It was also noted that free cash has been used to cover budget shortfalls because the funds returned to free cash annually are the “excess” from the last override, but, as expected, these funds are now running short.
Town Meeting member Mary Ellen O’Neil questioned what the $100,000 in the capital budget earmarked for the proposed pickleball courts would be used for if the upcoming Article 14 failed to pass. Angstrom answered that it would be returned to the Recreation Committee and would likely be used for other park maintenance or improvements.
The FY 2026 budget passed by a hand vote. “We have a budget,” Moderator Alan Foulds exclaimed.
After a failed attempt to adjourn for the evening, Town Meeting tackled Article 14, whether or not the town should take on $1.5 million in debt to build six or seven pickleball courts on Range Road, off Symonds Way, adjacent to the proposed Reading Center for Active Living (ReCal).
Assistant Town Manager Jayne Wellman explained that Reading currently has four “sub-par” pickleball courts at Reading Memorial High School and four pickleball courts on converted tennis courts at Memorial Park. These courts, Wellman explained, have a 94% usage rate with long waiting lists for their use. She also stated that there are triple the requests for pickleball reservations as there are for tennis, and that the planned pickleball courts in the Birch Meadow Phase Two proposal were removed for noise concerns.
“Symonds Way is an ideal site,” Wellman shared. She explained that the proposed site is removed from residential areas and will have plenty of parking.. It is expected that the Reading Pickleball Association will provide $250,000 that they have raised for the project, the Recreation Committee will provide $100,000, and that $200,000 will come from the Burbank Ice Arena reserve fund, which was developed from the funds provided annually to the town from the ice arena authority. This would result in $1 million in borrowing.
When questioned, Angstrom answered that she believes that the cost to repay the loan will be about $103,000 annually for ten years.
Town Meeting members seemed split on the issue, with members such as Phil Pacino stating, “I just don’t see this as a priority,” suggesting that devotees of the sport in town could “do it on their own dime.” Member Mary Ellen O’Neil objected to the project’s cost, but not to the provision of the land; she also suggested that she wished this project had gone to a town-wide vote. While affirming Symonds Way as the appropriate site for the project, Member Angela Binda stated that she felt the proposal was “being pushed through” without enough time for refinement. Several members called for specific plans regarding usage fees so that the courts could raise revenue to offset the costs, with member Tom Wise offering, then retracting, an amendment to the motion on the issue.
Others voiced strong support for the project. “It is not if you build it, they will come,” Town Meeting member Paula Perry countered, “they are already here!” Mark Dockser stated that he sees the project as “complementary” to the ReCal project approved on Thursday night. However, he wondered how Reading residents could receive priority in reservations for the courts.
Member Carla Nazzaro added, “Towns are not just about brick and mortar, they are about character and charm,” noting the social impact of pickleball on those who play. Member Carlo Bacci also stressed pickleball’s positive social impact. Member Emily James added that children play the sport as well as adults, sharing that, in her family, she, her father, and her children play, highlighting pickleball as an intergenerational activity.
After an hour and forty-five minutes of back and forth, Town Meeting voted to lay Article 14 on the table and revisit it when Town Meeting reconvenes on Thursday night.
Town Meeting adjourned at 11:40 pm.
