HANSON – April 7, 2026 – Hanson officials are grappling with a projected $1.5 million budget deficit heading into the May Annual Town Meeting, a shortfall driven largely by an unexpected $600,000 deficit in snow and ice removal costs. Town Accountant Eric Kinsherf informed the Select Board that while the town has roughly $2.2 million in free cash, nearly all of it is required to balance the operational budget, leaving little room for capital articles or emergency transfers.
The Full Story
The fiscal reality for the Town of Hanson took center stage during Tuesday night’s Select Board meeting. Town Accountant Eric Kinsherf and Town Administrator Lisa Green presented a “grounded” view of the town’s financial position, revealing that the town needs approximately $2 million in free cash just to balance the current budget proposal [38:06]. The primary culprit for the strain is a massive $600,000 deficit in the snow and ice account, a result of a winter that “hammered” the town with multiple severe storms [42:16].
