[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6454355,"mediaKeyId","5860904-1f5e5ca6d0edb02d527bf40e2713f1fb","parentId",5860904,"title","Brentwood budget committee presses select board for employee-level pay and benefit detail","audioSeconds",1317,"startMs",879000,"endMs",2196000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5860904-1f5e5ca6d0edb02d527bf40e2713f1fb&start=879&end=2196","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5860904-1f5e5ca6d0edb02d527bf40e2713f1fb/thumbnail_879000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6454355/New-Hampshire/Brentwood-budget-committee-presses-select-board-for-employee-level-pay-and-benefit-detail","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454355-4856f220e8ff6728739a56f188f49589/orig.mp4?Expires=1776640575&Signature=b4BFIET9FJguDoPt-0y6h2yN9sPkIeb~FKked1SGG1BiTE1218DGUhkWMb-0ko45bj6q9iGUhGB-Luk9thVCE0HXseFoSwMbgcw5gBnRekMEdxsNjQZzUHs0QfN5pZI6ho8Ax0Fp2~Y82rwwumm3DqlfJbcYl2cYSdEc~0XJdqDUBxgKNnZOml7n5EM39mN4Le~wB7iVlSR855RfY01ZJ6AlhqDrkr~zitrcGdnpuykxHC0u5xtnLj9N4x3NA2O1zXCf6eMVOVU-cODgxjtrkR9F0325R4RNwrVdk6Q0-uWQ~rnrGjrqewXqabKOQeORd1G7EQtnWxaa7Hs4GDB93Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Brentwood, NH","date","2025-09-30T11:29:24Z","article","Brentwood Town’s Budget Committee reviewed a new departmental-budget workbook on Sept. 29 and agreed to press the select board for more detailed employee and benefits data to support deliberations for the 2026 fiscal year.

Committee members said the spreadsheet, prepared by a committee member from the select board packet, shows 2025 appropriations, department requests, and a configurable salary-rise variable. The tool also contains position-level templates that compute FICA, New Hampshire Retirement contributions and other standard payroll charges when users enter current pay and proposed increases.

Members said the worksheet makes it easier to see how a proposed percentage increase would flow through payroll lines for each account, but they pressed for more transparency from town staff. They asked the select board to supply a single table of every funded position (or the position identifier), the current rate and the requested rate so the budget committee can verify how department-level totals roll up.

Committee members and staff also discussed breaking out major non‑discretionary costs — notably health insurance, Medicare/Medicaid and retirement — so departments and the public can see the “true cost of service” for each account. Finance staff’s view, as presented in the meeting, is that allocating health‑insurance cost to account lines would increase departmental awareness of benefit costs; committee members acknowledged potential privacy and HIPAA concerns and urged the finance director to consult the town attorney about how to present benefit costs without exposing individually selectable plans. One fallback suggested by committee members is to allocate benefits using an average per‑employee cost so the department-level totals reflect benefit expenses while preserving individual privacy.

The committee noted special payroll complexities for police and fire — overtime and step increases — and asked that those assumptions (for example, projected overtime percentages) be visible in the worksheets.

As an outcome, the budget committee agreed to request from the select board and finance director: (1) the single-sheet list showing funded positions and current vs. requested pay; (2) clarification about whether actual plan‑level health costs can be shown at an account level or whether an average allocation should be used; and (3) any existing per‑position worksheets (for police, fire and highway) showing overtime, step schedules and related assumptions. Committee members asked that those materials be provided in advance of the committee’s scheduled review meetings so they can prepare questions before department presentations.

Ending: Committee members said the new spreadsheet is a useful start and pledged to continue working with the select board and finance director to refine the data inputs before the budget hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Budget Committee Meeting 09/29/2025 Brentwood, NH","oneSentenceSummary","Budget committee members reviewed a new departmental budget workbook and voted to ask the select board for employee‑level funded‑position detail and clearer benefit allocations to inform 2026 spending decisions.","taxTitle","Brentwood Town, Rockingham County, New Hampshire","taxId",74075,"location","New Hampshire","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6454345,"Votes at a glance: Budget Committee approves draft minutes, advances review items",193,71000,264000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5860904-1f5e5ca6d0edb02d527bf40e2713f1fb&start=71&end=264","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5860904-1f5e5ca6d0edb02d527bf40e2713f1fb/thumbnail_71000.jpg","/articles/6454345/New-Hampshire/Votes-at-a-glance-Budget-Committee-approves-draft-minutes-advances-review-items","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454345-5f53b28dd5309561befb4cfeca1915df/orig.mp4?Expires=1776640575&Signature=hEqmK2RQeIET7YCCQNjeCdJAe1VRcYlfcyb09LfgsMD5YVFi-iN9xJ8xeMx0S~toz5SK3KqtbYlkQ0L97QsYNN4qBVDXGrMtkCXsUCMsgdhxgRgfMoiOUmLbRZ0VM84YLuAon1NqpyIfXMallh8yeRL9P-gfd6n4UQYh3hAUTItRSnR6RQCwW22wnQw0h8D3KKSjTKbSr-ycbPuVhUi8j~vtC5YiaJcnBvvAzp-nkMl1JstWihyQfdvCPwPasoWD1~Oqp31jJJ1HmtYCls~tbIOYbOWsryUwDaAu1ykpLCHvxL4rVA0UOz6iY1fJz4Cd4sa-tK5EveO8f-~lURRZ0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Brentwood Town Budget Committee approved multiple sets of draft minutes and recorded procedural motions on Sept. 29 as it prepared to begin departmental budget reviews.

Items approved or confirmed during the meeting included: the Aug. 18 minutes (sidewalk/Clerk‑Tax Collector entry), the Sept. 8 regular session minutes, and minutes from site visits on Sept. 25 (including the Grange Building / historic society site walk). Committee members also accepted a motion to adopt a preliminary schedule for departmental reviews and asked staff to provide the new budget worksheets and employee‑level information ahead of future meetings.

The meeting record shows motions and seconds were made for each minutes item; several votes included abstentions. The committee recorded that necessary majorities were met for approval in each case and no items were defeated.

Ending: The committee adjourned after confirming the approvals and assigning follow‑up data requests to the select board and finance director.","At its Sept. 29 meeting the committee approved several sets of draft minutes and recorded motions to move forward with departmental review schedule and data requests.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6454350,"Budget committee and select board members outline tax‑cap approach, set preliminary hearing schedule",1248,3512000,4760000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5860904-1f5e5ca6d0edb02d527bf40e2713f1fb&start=3512&end=4760","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5860904-1f5e5ca6d0edb02d527bf40e2713f1fb/thumbnail_3512000.jpg","/articles/6454350/New-Hampshire/Budget-committee-and-select-board-members-outline-taxcap-approach-set-preliminary-hearing-schedule","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454350-49ac4137cb2487822100fa419620dfdd/orig.mp4?Expires=1776640575&Signature=QQlzmi9X08brfGmc5ZsfOSv-nHddhGSs1OryVwTDf7hZIu9Ycl2pYe1E17bv2DwJBTWeiXejcgHc-hNo~wXWReNz-~6rA9DkS-D1hXCgpbc5O4D1Sa1RBtOcdZ3qGSCfeGtIlAkMcIrCDx~IQv2D3kXoMx7LRMMRiwLYpt9PLkFviysGIwbQuAKF6be2QfMa24yDXkf9ziYYb6X~cdZQXiLgxUmKn~65K04F0Pun-M71bR-skbI7Ytm31GX4jrpUbeXfqxtZMqEfXlZh9kvqnvWGToEb0hb~k6XPMDqAYMDHaCynvkQXZtNlKoe42kIKuCKF6q4InY22nwU2yrcFuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Brentwood’s Budget Committee discussed how to address the statutory tax cap during its Sept. 29 meeting, with select board members proposing to level‑fund the operating budget and move discretionary items to warrant articles for voters to decide.

A select board representative told the committee she prefers to keep the operating bottom line close to last year’s figure and present additional wants as warrant articles so taxpayers can prioritize items under the cap. Committee members noted the order of warrant articles matters because once passed warrants reach the cap, subsequent warrants can require a three‑fifths majority.

The committee agreed to coordinate with the select board and to consolidate questions for department presentations into a shared document. Members also set a preliminary schedule for budget review meetings: Oct. 20, Oct. 27, Nov. 10, Nov. 17, Dec. 8 and Dec. 15, with presentations to be held at 6 p.m., and said they would adapt as the select board finalizes department requests.

Committee members discussed the practical effect of separating fixed costs (for example, health insurance and retirement) from department‑managed items, and flagged snow‑and‑ice and other large variable lines as candidates to clarify funding and, if appropriate, to place on warrant articles.

Ending: Committee chairs said they will forward consolidated questions to the select board in advance of departmental presentations and use the shared document to avoid duplicate requests.","Committee members discussed an approach to hold the operating budget close to last year's bottom line to stay under the statutory tax cap and proposed meeting dates for department reviews.","actionData","errors"]

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Brentwood budget committee presses select board for employee-level pay and benefit detail

Votes at a glance: Budget Committee approves draft minutes, advances review items

Budget committee and select board members outline tax‑cap approach, set preliminary hearing schedule