News/FAQ from Committee 21: Budget Override

With Wellesley voters likely to be asked to approve a budget override this spring, Committee 21 is addressing a number of Frequently Asked Questions in the coming weeks, starting with some of the basics about town government.

This week’s FAQ: What is the “Gap List”?

If budgets exceed revenues, the Town may determine that an override (See “What is an Override?”) is necessary.  A “Gap List” consists of those budget items that will be cut should the override fail to be approved by the voters.  This year, the Gap List consists of, among other items, school library assistants, professional staffing to class sections, which will result in larger class sizes, and technology programming.  For more information on the Gap List, see FY15 School Gap List . 

What are “Level Services”?

"Level Services” are those services that the department currently provides.  A budget request for level services reflects the increased cost of providing those services without adding any additional items.  For example, in Wellesley, an increase in the student population has led to an increase in the cost of providing “Level Services.”