The Current State

Berkley’s Current Financial Reality

• Departments across town report operating with limited resources. Years of tight budgets and incremental cuts have reduced flexibility in nearly every department.

• Most departmental spending is committed to fixed costs, including payroll, health insurance, pensions, required memberships, and equipment maintenance.

• Because so much of the budget is tied to required expenses, there is very little discretionary spending left to reduce.

• Berkley’s employees are generally paid less than comparable positions in neighboring communities, making hiring and retention more difficult.

• Compared to surrounding towns, Berkley often operates with smaller budgets and fewer staff, while still expected to provide the same core municipal services.

• At this point, most remaining reductions would likely involve personnel, which would further strain departments that are already operating with minimal staffing.