City manager previews draft budget; police, fire, library and partners present priorities

City Manager Nicholas presented a preliminary FY2026 outlook that would hold the projected municipal tax‑rate increase near the council’s 6% target after departmental savings and new revenues, and department heads and community partners used the meeting to explain priorities they said should be considered as the council finalizes the budget. The packet and presentations together framed three near-term budget realities: higher costs across labor and benefits, lingering flood-recovery expenses and revenue uncertainty.

Manager’s summary: Nicholas told the council staff had identified roughly $456,000 in adjustments (about $135,000 in additional revenue and $321,000 in cost reductions) from the preliminary numbers used in early planning. Those savings would narrow a no‑action projected shortfall and leave a preliminary projected tax‑rate increase of about 5.9%, he said, subject to final decisions and any recreation department restorations.

Police: The police budget presentation covered three divisions: dispatch/communications (the city provides a regional PSAP service and holds contracts with neighboring towns), police services (patrol, detectives, SRO) and parking/meters. Chief summarized staffing (29.5 FTE including shared administrative assistant), 3,000 parking citations a year on average and an increase in calls to the communications center tied to added contract service. The budget shows a small net decrease in police services line items after line reallocations; department leaders advised that they anticipate continued pressure on overtime and staffing and noted the Washington County Mental Health clinician position the city had shared with Montpelier will no longer be funded at the same level by the state, leaving a gap (the city’s FY26 share was shown at roughly $27,500) that the city would have to absorb or replace via other partnerships.

Fire and EMS: Fire Chief Cushman presented an increase for the fire department (proposed ~3.8%) driven in part by the new collective-bargaining costs noted across public-safety budgets. The fire department reported 2,398 calls in 2024 (about 78% EMS), an ongoing issue with overlapping calls that requires off‑duty staffing to cover shifts, and a continuing challenge in reconstituting a volunteer ‘call force’ to supplement full‑time crews. The department said ambulance billing revenue increased and that EMS patient demographics skew toward Medicare/Medicaid, which affects reimbursements.

Facilities and cemeteries: Facilities Director Tom Baker outlined a proposed 3.7% department increase overall but described a plan to reduce seasonal cemetery budget lines and shift some mowing/grounds duties to full‑time maintenance staff; he and the manager characterized this as a cost‑management move that will preserve specialized seasonal staff for tougher tasks. Councilors asked for detail on BOR (ice arena) operating revenue and the cost to operate the building; staff said BOR rentals and rink hours generally cover operating expenses but that maintenance and capital lines require attention.

Aldrich Public Library: Director Kristen Baumann requested a 6% operating increase (requested budget $296,980) and summarized services: heavy usage (about 41,000 door counts to date in the fiscal year), rising public‑computer use (up 29%), robust programing including meals for children and family‑support partnerships, and a recently shifted technology/networking cost after the state stopped direct library Internet service. Baumann framed the increase as largely covering negotiated wage increases, higher health insurance costs and technology needs (hardware replacement). Councilors pressed for additional detail about the library’s fundraising and its split between city and town users; Baumann said Barre City and Barre Town residents use the library at roughly similar rates and that the library seeks parity with town support.

Barre Partnership and events: Director Tracy (Barre Partnership) reviewed festivals, farmers markets and downtown events, cited direct vendor revenue and sponsorships, and previewed a tourism/destination initiative aimed at coordinated wayfinding, QR‑code interpretation for public art and statues, and a mobile “hot‑cocoa hut” used seasonally. The partnership’s budget request was included in the packet (level funding requested previously; manager included a preliminary increase in line items). Councilors asked for clearer measures of how events translate to downtown sales; Partnership leaders said they will collect and share vendor and business sales snapshots when available.

Barre Area Development Corporation (BADC): BADC reported work to market properties, support startups, manage a revolving loan fund and explore the 143 North Main Street acquisition. The BADC packet showed multi-year deficit spending and an ask that would increase the municipal contribution modestly; councilors pressed for performance metrics and clearer evidence of return on investment. Several councilors said they were sympathetic to BADC’s goals but wanted more concrete KPIs and examples tying BADC work to increases in the grand list or jobs. BADC leaders said they are pursuing an executive‑director search and fundraising for the 143 Main project and noted prior successes (grant awards and business placements) while acknowledging the need for a stronger, consistent leader.

Next steps: Manager Nicholas and department heads asked councilors to review the detailed packet and to give high‑level direction on the FY26 target and any restorations (for example, recreation). Staff said they would return with revised figures, responses to requests for clearer ROI data from community partners, and more detailed cost impacts associated with restoring programs.

Ending: The presentations left the council with a preliminary 5.9% projection that still depends on final decisions about recreation and partner funding; several councilors asked staff to provide tighter revenue detail and confirm whether state and federal flood recovery monies under discussion would materially change the FY26 outlook.