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.