By Theresa Knapp 

At the request of Interim Town Manager Jeffrey Nutting, the Select Board agreed to hold a “financial summit” to address what Nutting predicts will be a “significant gap between the FY24 projected expenses and revenues.” 

At the board’s Jan. 9 meeting, Nutting said, “I’d like to ask the Board to have a financial summit with the Board, Finance Committee, the School Committee, all department heads and their committees, in a big room - and citizens, they’re certainly welcome – to review the financial position of the town.”  

Nutting hopes the gathering will help stakeholders “understand what our constraints are, what the potentials are, and then that helps the Select Board hear everybody’s issues and concerns, and then…when you’re doing a final policy on what the critical components are, you have at least listened to everybody.” 

He said the meeting is necessary “so everybody gets the big picture instead of piecemeal,” referring to the traditional budget process in which the Select Board and Finance Committee meet separately with departments to gather information. 

“In the end, it’s a team effort, everybody has to work together,” Nutting said. “Everybody needs to have a voice at the table but also understand everybody else’s voice.” 

The meeting is expected to take place sometime in February and will be posted on the town website www.hopedale-ma.gov.