Present: Jen Richardson (Chair), Kimberly Firth (Vice Chair), Laurie Colburn, Dawn Gezelman, Tim McKenna, Beth Downs (Select Board Representative)
Open Public Hearing at 6:30 pm
Budget Committee Presentation: Kim Firth narrated a slide presentation that included charts and graphs showing budgetary expenses that led to increased taxes in 2023. It also provided an overview of the Budget Committee’s 2024 Operating Budget.
Budget Committee Public Hearing 2024 Presentation
Discussion:
Chris Frey asked if the Committee had considered cutting services as part of the process and subsequent recommendations. Laurie Colburn answered that cutting services was not considered because voters have supported services in the past. She said that if services are to be cut, it is the duty of voters to decide at Town Meeting which town services they want.
Ed Shaughnessy: Spoke to corrections that needed to be made in the Police Department budget data.
Devin Pendleton: Chair of the Brown Memorial Library Trustee asked the Committee to reconsider the $90,000 recommendation. The original Library request was $97,000. After recalculating expenses Devin asked the Committee to recommend $95,479. The reasons for the increase from the 2023 request of $83,000 to the 2024 request of $95,479 is that the Library has been funding operating expenses with donations. Those donations have been discontinued. Devin explained that this is a bare bones request that includes the lowest decent wages possible for Library workers with no added benefits. Neighboring towns fund libraries at $40,000 to $200,000 more. Laurie recommended asking voters at Town Meeting to approve the increased request.
Jen Richardson asked for a motion to increase the Library budget to $95,479. No motion was made.
Sheila Jackson commented she had come to the hearing to find out about the tax increase and that she found the presentation very helpful. Several people present and Committee members discussed how best to help residents voice concerns and questions and understand the reasons for tax increases which will continue. The Committee emphasized that all meetings are open to the public; minutes of the meetings are available online; video streams of the meetings are available online.
Kim Firth asked what attendees thought the best way was to get information from residents to inform the Committee’s work. The sense of the group was that a survey sent before the Committee started work on the next year’s budget would be a good idea.
Ed Shaughnessy commented that he plans time in his schedule to talk to residents about Police Department services.
Mel Pfeifle emphasized that it’s up to the voters to decide how money for town services is to be raised and spent.
Warrant Article Review
Jen Richardson read each of the warrant articles asking for discussion and comments.
After completing the reading of the articles. Jen Richardson asked for any further discussion. Hearing none, she asked for a motion to adjourn.
Motion: Beth Downs moved that the meeting be adjourned.
Second: Dawn Gezelman
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Meeting adjourned at 8:05 pm
Respectfully submitted, Kathleen Bigford