Carver Finance Committee Approves $140,000 in Reserve Transfers, Awards Four Grants

CARVER -- June 22, 2026, Carver Finance Committee closes FY26 with $140,000 in reserve transfers and $20,000 in community grants. At its June 22 meeting, the committee voted 3-1 twice to pull from its reserve fund, $60,000 for utility overruns driven by a harsh winter and $5,000-per-blizzard gasoline spikes, and $80,000 for legal expenses tied primarily to an active lawsuit against Gateway Health Group and personnel matters, with one member noting the fund "was not set up" as a recurring backstop for predictable shortfalls. Finance Director Karen Preval confirmed the legal budget was raised from $140,000 to $169,000 for FY27, though she acknowledged that may still be insufficient and pledged quarterly account reviews. The committee unanimously awarded the maximum $5,000 grant to each of four nonprofits, Shane Gives Thanks Food Pantry, Carver Youth Cheer, South Shore VNA, and South Shore Community Action Council, while declining to hear a late application from Carver Youth Football, whose representative arrived without having filed by the April 30 deadline. The meeting was the final one for two departing members, leaving the committee at four seats heading into what members described as an unusually difficult budget year.