See How Brookline's Budget Is Made

BROOKLINE, MA — If you've ever wondered how Brookline officials create the annual budget, the town is hosting a virtual information session to explain it.

"This session is intended to demystify the budget and provide a base level understanding of how the town funds municipal and school services," said Brookline Town Administrator Mel Kleckner, encouraging residents to join and learn more about how the budget comes together.

The event will also include an early outlook on the town's Fiscal Year 2022 budget as its development gets underway, and residents will have an opportunity to provide general input on town budget priorities.

"The development of the town's budget is a lengthy process that is most successful when residents are engaged and informed," Kleckner said.

Over the course of the next several months the budget will be outlined in greater detail before it's eventually put before Town Meeting for approval.

The info session for the public comes a month after the town's leaders recommended all Town Meeting Members, Advisory Committee Members and other elected officials and individuals appointed to any Board or Commission to fulfill a fiscal education requirement.

The Brookline Fiscal Advisory Committee made the recommendation for two reasons.

One reason, they said, they found the level of comfort and degree of familiarity that members of town boards, committees and commissions have with financial terminology, concepts and topics was widely varied.

"It is important that any analysis or discussion of town finances presented in reports, at committee meetings, and at Town Meeting be understood by participants with varying levels of financial literacy," they said in the proposal.

The second reason was simply that the group believed any elected or appointed person should have at least a basic understanding of financial matters impacting the town.

Brookline's fiscal year 2020 budget was some $335.4 million. For 2019 it was $320.5 million.