Winchester town manager presents budget updates as board weighs service cuts and capital plan

Town Manager Paul Harrington told the Winchester Board of Selectmen on April 17 that the town’s proposed 2025–26 budget currently reflects a 1.91‑mill increase — about a 7% rise from the current rate — and that the approved list of 27 capital projects remains funded in the plan as presented.

Harrington said two items could modestly reduce the town’s spending need: an insurance renewal negotiated by Brown and Brown that lowered the town plan’s renewal from an expected 12% to 9.9%, producing roughly a $17,000 decrease in the town’s health‑insurance line; and about $60,000 of the $280,000 budgeted to support an added ambulance crew that will not be spent this fiscal year because the extra crew began service Oct. 1, 2024.

The town manager’s update followed discussion of public‑safety and outside‑agency funding. Harrington summarized recent ambulance metrics and finances and invited further review; Selectman Troy Lemire asked repeatedly for a detailed, itemized budget from the ambulance provider. Harrington said he had requested response‑time data, call coverage statistics, numbers of simultaneous calls handled and reductions in mutual aid. He said the town’s provider reported 970 calls the six months Oct. 2023–Mar. 2024 and 1,127 calls Oct. 2024–Mar. 2025. He also reported that the additional (second) ambulance crew added last year “is showing a positive impact” and that, because the crew began Oct. 1 rather than July 1, about $60,000 of the $280,000 appropriated for a full year will be unspent.

Harrington also told the board the ambulance provider reported large numbers of Medicare and Medicaid transports and said those payers do not fully cover transport costs. He said an audit the provider provided to the town suggests the provider has argued for ongoing municipal support to remain solvent; Harrington promised to distribute the audit and follow up on additional details he had requested.

The board discussed a proposed cut to Foothills Visiting Nurses and Hospice in Litchfield County — the town had reduced the group’s line from $34,000 historically to $10,000 in the manager’s draft. Harrington said the agency performs roughly 300 home visits annually in town and provides vaccines, foot clinics and blood‑pressure screenings at the senior center. Board members noted the agency serves multiple towns, reports having bank reserves, and warned that a deep cut by several towns could create a “slippery slope.” Selectmen discussed using the $17,000 insurance savings to restore some town support to the visiting‑nurse line; Harrington confirmed the cut to $10,000 stands in the proposal but that adjustments were possible before the final vote.

Capital funding and fund balance usage drew sustained attention. Harrington reviewed the town’s past practice of funding capital out of the general fund and the rainy‑day fund; he said the town injected about $2 million of fund‑balance money into last year’s revenue stream to pay capital costs and is trying to return to a mix that relies less on one‑time injections. He reminded the board that the $400,000 the town expects to receive from the recently approved solar contract was placed in miscellaneous revenue and warned that using that one‑time money for recurring operational costs would create a hole in next year’s budget.

Board members asked for additional documents and data ahead of the regularly scheduled meeting and the planned referendum process. Harrington said he would circulate the ambulance audit, insurer correspondence and the town side details for town‑support for education. The board set the next meeting and noted public comment will be allowed at the Monday meeting.

Ending: Board members did not vote on the budget at the April 17 special meeting; the manager said additional material would be supplied to the board before the regular meeting and the town meeting deadlines.