Department amounts are what Town Meeting appropriated for this year.
FY2026 Highlights
- FY26 residential (single) tax rate dropped to $11.50 per $1,000 from $12.04 in FY25; a five-year revaluation was completed in FY26
- Average single-family tax bill rose to $8,753 (from $8,511 in FY25) on an average single-family value of $761,161 (from $706,928); 9,453 single-family parcels
- School Committee FY26 budget of $90,339,987, an increase of $3,724,468 (4.30%), with no cuts to educational staffing or programs for a fifth straight year
- FY26 is the sixth year using the May 2021 $9.5M operational override; the override stabilization fund balance was $10,153,611.90 as of March 31, 2026
- Management Information Systems became a standalone budget department in FY26 — $1,315,909
- One-time Town Manager appropriation for Enterprise Performance & Optimization Initiatives (shared services, process optimization, technology) — $250,000
- One-time Planning funds for Master Plan and Climate Action Plan implementation — $215,000
- FY26 was Shrewsbury's first year as lead community of the Central MA Regional Health Department (with Grafton and West Boylston) — $433,273
- Group health & life insurance appropriation, the largest shared cost — $17,920,000
- Community Preservation Act funds used as an available revenue source in FY26 — $1,890,785
- ARPA funding ends in FY26; four ARPA-funded firefighter positions are absorbed into the General Fund in FY27
Education$90,339,98650.5%
| Department / Account | vs. FY2025 | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Shrewsbury Public Schools | +4.3% | $90,339,986 |
Employee Benefits$22,537,75012.6%
| Department / Account | vs. FY2025 | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Group Health & Life Insurance | — | $17,920,000 |
| Retirement / Pensions | +21.7% | $2,800,000 |
| Medicare Employer Match | — | $1,400,000 |
| OPEB | +0.0% | $300,000 |
| Unemployment Compensation | — | $115,000 |
| Employee Assistance Program | — | $2,750 |
Enterprise Funds$16,535,1589.3%
| Department / Account | vs. FY2025 | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sewer Enterprise | -20.1% | $7,920,380 |
| Water Enterprise | -7.1% | $3,778,032 |
| Solid Waste Enterprise | +5.0% | $3,412,935 |
| Stormwater Enterprise | -28.0% | $1,081,541 |
| Cable Public Access Enterprise | — | $342,270 |
Public Safety$14,929,4418.4%
| Department / Account | vs. FY2025 | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Police Department | +5.7% | $8,245,681 |
| Fire Department | +10.3% | $5,955,001 |
| Building Inspector | +6.0% | $640,469 |
| Emergency Management | +165.5% | $76,080 |
| Weights & Measures | +11.0% | $12,210 |
Debt Service$12,291,9876.9%
| Department / Account | vs. FY2025 | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Long-term debt principal | -0.8% | $8,319,293 |
| Long-term debt interest | -4.9% | $3,932,694 |
| Short-term debt interest | — | $40,000 |
General Government$11,631,1856.5%
| Department / Account | vs. FY2025 | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Public Buildings | -18.7% | $5,535,799 |
| Management Information Systems | — | $1,315,909 |
| Town Manager | -73.9% | $1,287,762 |
| Planning & Economic Development | +116.7% | $513,182 |
| Assessors | +10.1% | $460,750 |
| Personnel Board | — | $429,500 |
| Human Resources | +43.3% | $409,301 |
| Treasurer-Collector | +13.4% | $377,959 |
| Finance Committee | +37861.2% | $361,011 |
| Accountant | +5.0% | $311,618 |
| Town Clerk | +4.2% | $248,525 |
| Town Counsel | -33.5% | $183,300 |
| Elections & Registration | -20.8% | $151,499 |
| Select Board | — | $25,500 |
| Conservation Commission | -52.0% | $14,370 |
| Board of Appeals | +312.5% | $2,900 |
| Planning Board | +274.6% | $2,300 |
Public Works$4,576,9322.6%
| Department / Account | vs. FY2025 | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Highway (incl. Snow & Ice) | +9.2% | $2,249,009 |
| DPW Administration | +19.7% | $924,378 |
| Town Engineer | -69.1% | $416,712 |
| Fleet Maintenance | +3.0% | $374,082 |
| Street Lighting | +37.4% | $272,304 |
| Cemeteries | -86.9% | $171,247 |
| Forestry | +58.3% | $169,200 |
Culture & Recreation$2,966,2581.7%
| Department / Account | vs. FY2025 | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Library | +4.1% | $1,865,160 |
| Parks Maintenance | +6.6% | $689,881 |
| Parks & Recreation | -35.5% | $411,217 |
Other$1,921,0001.1%
| Department / Account | vs. FY2025 | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| General Insurance | — | $1,337,000 |
| Oil & Fuel | — | $400,000 |
| Print/Postage/Stationery | — | $175,000 |
| Memorial Day/Veterans Day | — | $5,000 |
| MIS Support (operating support) | — | $4,000 |
Human Services$992,8870.6%
| Department / Account | vs. FY2025 | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Health | +74.3% | $433,273 |
| Council on Aging / Senior Center | +1.7% | $417,597 |
| Veterans' Services | +65.8% | $141,517 |
| Commission on Disabilities | -59.9% | $500 |
Capital Projects
| FY26 Town Meeting warrant articles (as of Fall Special Town Meeting) | $6,344,465 |
| FY26 Capital Improvement Plan (itemized list not yet published) | $2,314,210 |
| Chapter 90 roadway funds (state aid, FY26 budget) | $1,887,186 |
Sources
- May 18, 2026 Annual Town Meeting Book & Report of the Finance Committee (FY26 'Appropriated' column)
- FY27 Financial Plan - Fiscal Projection One (FY26 Fall STM budget columns; FY26 tax rate & avg value)
- Shrewsbury Public Schools FY26 Town Meeting Budget Packet (May 19, 2025)
- Shrewsbury Public Schools FY 2026 Budget page
- MA DLS Gateway - Tax Rates by Class (Shrewsbury FY2026)
- MA DLS Gateway - Average Single Family Tax Bill (Shrewsbury FY2026)
- Town of Shrewsbury Annual Town Meeting page