Oakham Finance Committee Eyes Prop 2½ Override to Close $455,000 Budget Gap

OAKHAM -- March 17, 2026, Oakham Finance Committee agrees a Proposition 2½ override is likely unavoidable as the town's fiscal year 2027 budget gap reaches $455,000. At its March 17 meeting, the committee, joined by Town Accountant Laurie Barkas and Assessor Diane Peterson, confirmed that even after applying the town's entire free cash balance of roughly $212,000, a shortfall of approximately $233,000 remains, with stabilization reserves down to about $399,000 from nearly $800,000 just a few years ago. Barkas, who has run successful overrides in Hopedale, Royalston, and Dudley, recommended structuring any Oakham override as a multi-question, contingent-budget ballot covering three years to fiscal year 2030, noting that tiered questions "actually pass a lot better than a flat number." The committee calculated that a $1 million override would add approximately $1,226 per year to the tax bill of a $400,000 home. Building Inspector Robert Lanciani, attending remotely, warned that cutting stipends, one option the committee floated, would effectively require him to work 104 hours a year without pay. The Finance Committee's next step is a joint meeting with the Board of Selectmen, already scheduled in approximately three weeks, where override authority ultimately rests.