Eastham Finance Committee appoints new member, flags $258,000 budget shortfall

EASTHAM -- May 21, 2026, Eastham Finance Committee reviews mixed override results and flags end-of-year budget shortfalls topping $258,000. The committee, meeting May 21, dissected the gap between the operating budget override's strong town meeting passage, 437 to 106, and its far narrower ballot win of 839 to 541, with Town Manager Richard Bienvenu suggesting many ballot opponents simply lacked information. The panel heard that the elementary school faces a roughly $115,000 special education deficit, snow and ice accounts are short $128,000 from blizzard costs, and a Conservation Commission-ordered demolition of a cliff-edge home at 157 Brown Road will cost an estimated $15,000, together exceeding the Finance Committee's $200,000 reserve. A health insurance surplus of approximately $400,000 is expected to cover the gap through a transfer vote at the next meeting. Filed subbids for the town's wastewater project came in approximately $7 million under the engineer's estimate, with general contractor bids opening May 27 and Select Board contract award action expected June 1. The committee voted unanimously to reappoint member Ron for a new three-year term and welcomed Karen Cludier, a retired elementary school principal appointed by Town Moderator Scott Kerry to replace the outgoing chair.