THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, MAy 1, 2026 Page 3 COUNTDOWN TILL | FROM PAGE 2 ford to go back to the “bad old days” in the Town of Saugus, where it was too often, a state of robbing Peter to pay Paul, in order to meet our fi nancial obligations here! Peter Delios: I believe the most important thing this year is that Town Meeting continues to work together in helping to make Saugus a great place to live for all our residents. Peter Manoogian: My top priority would be to prevent Saugus from going backwards fi nancially, or, at the very least, for Town Meeting to be made aware of the consequences if they choose to do so. Saugus, unlike so many communities, both affl uent and fi scally challenged, has had solid fi nances due to policies adopted by the administration and embraced by Town Meeting. Saugus residents have not been asked to fund increased taxes through operational overrides as has occurred in 143 other Massachusetts communities over the past three years. Wealthy communities such as Winchester, Lexington, Brookline, and Marblehead are all facing fi scal challenges. Saugus is one of a few communities that does not require residents to pay a trash fee. We have maintained full services with no cuts to public safety, the library, or other vital town services. Saugus is an island among a sea of communities facing fi scal challenges. The Town Manager, along with all fi ve Selectmen, originally put forward a proposal to increase the school budget by $1 million. Meanwhile, the School Committee requested a more substantial $2.9 million boost, largely to fund a 5% pay raise for teachers — a decision made by the previous committee just before their term concluded. In addition to these requests, the School Department is seeking another $1.3 million from allocated reserves to cover core programs and staff typically part of the regular school budget. As of this week the Manager is recommending to Town Meeting will project into future years and what the unintended consequences could be. These financial strains are further complicated by a previous School Committee’s choice to grant a fi ve-year contract to a new Superintendent, something unheard of in any Massachusetts school system, only to terminate it early. This move saddled the town with nearly $500,000 in legal obligations. On top of that, Saugus faces a signifi cant uptick, close to 14%, in employee THE SEAT OF SAUGUS TOWN GOVERNMENT: The 50-member Town Meeting is the legislative branch of Saugus Town Government and convenes on the fi rst Monday in May each year for a series of meetings to approve zoning articles and resolutions and to pass the town’s municipal budget. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) that the school department receive their total request of 2.9 million. As a Town Meeting Member I want to see how this health insurance costs. Hence, increases for school spending will exceed $5 million just for FY2027. Looking ahead to FY2028, an additional 5% increase in teacher salaries is scheduled to take eff ect, intensifying the town’s fiscal challenges. I do not want to see Saugus head towards the fi scal chaos that we experienced 25 years ago. It will only be a matter of time when our bond rating will COUNTDOWN TILL | SEE PAGE 7 Lawrence A. Simeone Jr. Attorney-at-Law ~ Since 1989 ~ * Corporate Litigation * Criminal/Civil * MCAD * Zoning/Land Court * Wetlands Litigation * Workmen’s Compensation * Landlord/Tenant Litigation * Real Estate Law * Construction Litigation * Tax Lien * Personal Injury * Bankruptcy * Wrongful Death * Zoning/Permitting Litigation 300 Broadway, Suite 1, Revere * 781-286-1560 lsimeonejr@simeonelaw.net SABATINO/MASTROCOLA INSURANCE AGENCY 519 BROADWAY EVERETT, MA 02149 Auto * Home * Boat * Renter * Condo * Life * Multi-Policy Discounts * Commercial 10% Discounts * Registry Service Also Available PHONE: (617) 387-7466 FAX: (617) 381-9186 Visit us online at: WWW.SABATINO-INS.COM
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