Facilities Department Holds Budget Flat Amid Rising Costs
The Reading Facilities Department is proposing a level-funded fiscal year 2027 budget, despite inflationary pressures and aging infrastructure. Facilities Director Joe Huggins presented the plan during Tuesday night’s Select Board meeting, emphasizing cost control and preventive maintenance as the department prepares for two major new buildings.
Our biggest challenge is keeping up with the footprint we already have while planning for what’s coming,” Huggins said. “We’re doing everything we can to hold the line.”
The department oversees maintenance for all municipal buildings and manages custodial services for town facilities, while also coordinating outsourced cleaning for large spaces such as the library, police station, and Town Hall. In FY27, salaries for core facilities staff will rise about 4% under union contracts, but no new positions are being added. Maintenance overtime remains level-funded, reserved for emergencies, snow removal, and critical repairs.
Huggins noted that energy costs—the largest portion of the facilities budget—will decrease by 4% thanks to efficiency measures and favorable utility rates. Savings from that reduction will be reinvested in building repairs, including plumbing, elevator service, and fire suppression systems. “We’ve got a lot of aging equipment out there,” Huggins said. “Preventive maintenance is key to avoiding bigger problems.”
The town facilities budget, which covers custodial wages and outsourced cleaning, will increase by about 3%, driven by contractual wage adjustments. Supplies and service contracts remain level-funded.
Looking ahead, Huggins warned that operating costs will rise sharply once the new Killam School and Center for Active Living open.
We’re talking about adding two maintenance staff and two custodians just to keep up,” he said. “The new buildings will be five times the size of what we have now.”
Despite those future challenges, Huggins stressed that the department continues to find savings where possible. Recent efficiencies funded projects such as a new fire pump at Parker Middle School and upgrades to building management systems.
Every dollar we save goes back into the physical plant,” he said. “We take a lot of pride in that.”
