MEMORANDUM
DATE: June 26, 2025
TO: Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
FROM: Brian Kane, Chair, Administration and Finance Committee
RE: Recommendation to Approve the SFY 2026 CTPS Operating Budget
The Administration and Finance Committee convened on May 29, 2025, to review the draft State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2026 operating budget for the staff to the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (Boston Region MPO), known as the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS). The SFY 2026 operating budget covers the period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. At the meeting, staff provided a detailed overview of projected revenues, line-item expenses, and key assumptions. The total proposed budget for SFY 2026 is $8,240,000, representing a 7 percent decrease from the SFY 2025 budget. This reduction is primarily due to adjustments in previously anticipated federal competitive grant funding.
Revenue projections are organized into four major categories:
The budget assumes a staffing level of approximately 60 full-time employees, along with funding for part-time and per diem positions. While the amount budgeted for salaries has slightly decreased from the previous year, it reflects an 8 percent increase over the actual expenditures in SFY 2025 due to lower than expected staffing levels.
Direct costs are projected at $851,000 and include investments in information technology (IT) infrastructure, consultant services tied to grant work and modeling projects, and funding for public engagement activities, translation services, and technical tools.
Administrative expenses account for approximately 50 percent of the total budget. These expenses support employee benefits, training, IT services, rent, recruitment, and general office operations. Notable changes from the previous year include the following:
The provisional overhead rate for SFY 2026 is projected at 122.59 percent, an increase from the 120.30 percent rate in SFY 2025. This figure reflects the ratio of administrative expenses to direct labor and aligns with CTPS’s current size and operating structure.
On behalf of the Administration and Finance Committee, I recommend that the Boston Region MPO board approve the SFY 2026 CTPS operating budget in the amount of $8,240,000, with a provisional overhead rate of 122.59 percent.
The proposed budget reflects a balanced and strategic allocation of resources, supports the agency’s staffing and operational needs, and advances its commitment to regional transportation planning.
CIVIL RIGHTS NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC
Welcome. Bem Vinda. Bienvenido. Akeyi. 欢迎. 歡迎
You are invited to participate in our transportation planning process, free from discrimination. The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is committed to nondiscrimination in all activities and complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin (including limited English proficiency). Related federal and state nondiscrimination laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of age, sex, disability, and additional protected characteristics.
For additional information or to file a civil rights complaint, visit www.bostonmpo.org/mpo_non_discrimination.
To request this information in a different language or format, please contact:
Boston Region MPO Title VI Specialist
10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 857.702.3700
Email: civilrights@ctps.org
For people with hearing or speaking difficulties, connect through the state MassRelay service, www.mass.gov/massrelay. Please allow at least five business days for your request to be fulfilled.