First Look At Shrewsbury Budget For 2025: Town Projects 4.3% Increase

SHREWSBURY, MA — Shrewsbury has released its first draft of the 2025 fiscal year budget, which shows about a 4.4 percent increase in spending between school, capital and municipal operations.

Town Manager Kevin Mizikar presented a sketch of the fiscal 2025 — a year that starts July 1 — to the Shrewsbury Select Board at the Feb. 13 meeting. He followed up with a memo to the public on Friday saying the budget will largely fall in line with spending goals, except in the area of shared expenses between the schools and town.

According to Mizikar's presentation, the fiscal 2025 budget will be about $183.6 million, about $2.3 million higher than fiscal 2024. The school portion of the budget will rise about 4.5 percent, below the target maximum of 4.75 percent. The municipal budget alone will be below the 4 percent target cap.

Shrewsbury Superintendent Joseph Sawyer previously presented the school department's 2025 budget request to the school committee, detailing the 4.5 percent spending increase.

But the category of shared expenses between the schools and town will rise more than 7 percent, exceeding the targeted cap of 6.65 percent. Mizikar told the select board healthcare costs are driving the shared cost increase. Healthcare costs will rise about 9.5 percent across the different town employee groups in fiscal 2025.

The budget process is just getting started. The Shrewsbury Finance Committee will begin budget hearings on March 21. The spring 2024 Town Meeting where members will vote on the 2025 budget is scheduled for May 20.