The proposed budget prioritizes basic services and capital investments in streets, public safety, facilities, and community services.

In this draft, $37.8 million is requested, which means there's a $3.9 million difference between what was expected to be allocated and what's currently requested in this draft.

The largest number you'll see here is the one at the top, representing the Leander Generations Fund... When they pay the bill on our behalf, we will release that amount, and it will not come out of our coffers.

I actually wasn't aware that the majority of these items were carried over. Well, I knew some of them were, and I think when I look at a $3.9 million difference, this slide helps me take a deep breath and say, 'Oh, it's not so bad.'

This program aims to provide residents with near-zero interest loans to improve their private sidewalks... The cost of replacement will be added to their annual tax bill.

Cannabis funds are placed in a restricted fund specifically for capital projects. And there's a condition to spend these funds within a specific timeframe.

It fully has to do with healthcare... it increased police staff costs by $238,930, and it increased fire department health insurance by $375,314.

In terms of personal service line item, frankly, for both police and fire, is it largely dictated by union and contracts, or is there a degree of variability in there that's more discretionary?

The lift for the pool is not for the waterworks pool; it is the rec center pool on the lower level. It's the last component to make the building ADA compliant.

We have options to extend that contract for two years, or we have the right to renew. ... This winter, we will make that decision, because that's when we want to either go out for bid or renew.

Norcomm is now going to be our IT department. So some of the things that were in public lands and buildings have transferred to Norcomm, so you'll see an increase in the Norcomm contractual budget.

One of the things that we've done in that regard is the need to upgrade some of our hardware here in order to continue to best protect ourselves as possible.

The small dump truck specifically... it is the only truck we have, come snow season, that can get into those tight streets.

That is what we pay Duke Energy for our street lighting... The City of Norwell does not own any street light poles except for those on steps.

Some of the previous materials and supplies items have moved over to the contractual line item... part of that was delivering lunches in a different way.

I was worried we were cutting that budget somehow. I'm not satisfied with that.

I am quite confident that the $42 million that we are showing for expenses in 2026 will be well under that.

It is a hindrance, yes. You know, towards the end of the year, that's when it's great to put out spring projects... the contractors are totally busy in the spring, let alone the summer.

I don't think practically it would make that much of a difference, because a future council can always just pass another ordinance and say, 'I was just kidding,' and repeal that.

I don't personally see any harm in it, and if all of you work with the administration, we can come together and find some general guidelines of what we want for a budgeting process.

Last year was the earliest in the history of the Financial Restructuring Plan, the state of fiscal emergency, that we passed a budget.