The Duxbury Finance Committee began the arduous process of finalizing recommendations for the town’s fiscal year 2027 budget, navigating between a balanced "Budget A" and a restoration-focused "Budget B." Chair Betsy Sullivan opened the session by outlining a systematic "hold" process for departmental line items, noting that we have done a lot of work this fall and we are now at the point where we need to start working on our recommendations. Town Manager René Read requested that the committee delay voting on public safety salaries, explaining, I would ask that you hold off on voting salary lines for the police and fire just because I need to finish some overtime work with Mary on that.

A significant portion of the debate centered on the thin staffing within the Accounting and Human Resources departments. Al Hoban, attending remotely, emphasized the vulnerability of the town’s financial infrastructure, stating, from my point of view, as a professional accountant CPA, I think we're thinly staffed there... this and other critical functions are not known to the public. Betsy Sullivan echoed these concerns regarding the accounting office, warning that it is not sustainable and when it stops being sustained we are going to perhaps have some very costly errors. In response to the need for a $70,000 restoration in the accounting budget, Jackson S. Kent., Jr. pointed out the fiscal reality: if we're going to put 70 grand into A, we got to take 70 grand out of A someplace. Motion Made by Kathleen Glynn to approve department 135 accounting line 8 salaries in the amount of $350,234. Vote Passed 8-0.

The committee also scrutinized the growing risks of cybersecurity and human resources compliance. Mark Hokanson advocated for a $47,000 expense to protect the town’s data, cautioning that a cyber security ransom could shut down the entire organization. Ashley Maher noted that the committee could look toward the reserve fund to bridge such gaps, stating, We have 50k in the very last line, the reserve fund to restore that level. Friend S. Weiler, Sr. suggested that while many requested positions are vital, the balanced budget must remain the priority, remarking, I believe in all those Ford positions... but to get there, I think it has to go through B. Motion Made by Kathleen Glynn to approve department 155 information systems line 19 expenses in the amount of $648,343. Vote Passed 8-0.

As the committee moved through the DPW and municipal service lines, Charles J. Weilbrenner requested reconsiderations based on some risk elements regarding recommended salary levels. Kathleen Glynn sought clarification on the maintenance of cemetery retorts, stressing their financial importance: I just want to make sure that we are fully taking care of those retorts because they contribute to the bottom line rather aggressively. The committee concluded the evening by finalizing several general government and public works lines while waiting for the School Committee to vote on their respective budget. Motion Made by Kathleen Glynn to approve department 491 cemetery line 64 expenses in the amount of $330,235. Vote Passed 8-0.