Public Comment: We Can Both Meet the Moment By Using Reserves for a Targeted Purpose and Do the Work to Plan for the Future to Right-Size the Budget
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The following public comment was presented at the meeting of the Amherst Town Council on April 7, 2025
Amherst currently holds $28.6 million in reserves, nearly 30% of our operating budget. That’s an extraordinary number — nearly three times the high end of the state’s recommended reserve range of 5–10%.
Neighboring communities are maintaining much more modest levels. Amesbury recently celebrated reaching just over 7.5% in reserves. Montague and Belchertown both aim for between 5–10%, in line with Massachusetts Division of Local Services guidance. So we are not just healthy — we are exceptionally strong by every fiscal measure.
And yet, despite this strength, we’re preparing a budget that continues to constrain core services and stretch departments to the limit. We hear that “there’s no money,” but in truth, we are choosing not to use it. I understand the value of caution and long-term planning. But at some point, restraint becomes a barrier. The current approach — though clearly well-intentioned — has become too narrow, too conservative, and in some ways out of sync with the evolving needs of this community.
I believe it’s time to broaden our approach — to trust that we can use our reserves wisely and strategically while still preserving our strong bond rating and financial flexibility. The values of this town — equity, care, climate action, education, access — should be reflected not just in our mission statements, but in our financial choices.
I’m here in the spirit of partnership. I would like to see the council and the town manager work together to bring forward a proposal that uses reserves to responsibly close the projected FY26 budget gap — and invest in the people and services that make Amherst thrive.
And if that’s not where the process leads, I want to be transparent that I — along with other residents — am prepared to begin organizing under the Amherst Home Rule Charter to bring this question to the broader community. That step would come not out of conflict, but out of care — because I believe we all want the same thing: a town that works for everyone.
Michele Miller is a resident of District 1 and a former Amherst Town Councilor representing that district.
I’m with you, Michelle, on organizing to find out what Amherst residents really want. We are so much more than what this new form of government has reduced us to.
I agree with the argument that reserve funds should only be used for one-time not on-going budget issues. That money won’t be there to cover the same operating deficit when it becomes part of the “baseline” expenses on top of which a source for inflation must be found. I also find all the economists’ arguments suggesting inflation coupled with recession from tariff uncertainty compelling.