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Interlaken presents FY2026 budget amendments; council proposes using reserves to pay for road repairs
Summary
At a June 3 public hearing on Interlaken’s fiscal year 2026 budget, town staff proposed reallocating reserves and using capital funds for road repairs after higher-than-expected paving bids. Officials said no final budget adoption or tax vote was recorded at the hearing; a Truth in Taxation hearing is scheduled for August.
Interlaken town staff presented proposed amendments to the fiscal year 2026 tentative budget on June 3, recommending that the council use existing reserve funds rather than add to reserves this year to cover unexpectedly high bids for road repairs and patching.
The matter is central to the town’s near-term infrastructure work: staff said bids for crack sealing and patch repairs came back higher than estimated and that the council proposes to shift planned reserve transfers into road maintenance to complete urgent repairs.
The town administrator (identified in the transcript as Mark) told the council that a crack-sealing bid was roughly $32,000 and a patching/repair bid was near $53,000, about double earlier per-square-foot estimates because road sections have a thicker pavement and base than assumed. The proposed change removes a $30,000 transfer from the general fund to the capital improvement (road) fund this year and increases the annual road repair and maintenance line from $48,000 to $85,000.
Officials also said they trimmed other capital allocations — removing a $5,000 capital equipment line and a $2,000 DPW-site capital item — so the net effect balanced around the required amounts for repairs. The administrator said the town spent roughly $275,000 on roads last year and experienced three unexpected waterline breaks that drew on reserves.
Residents asked budget questions and sought clarity on the town’s finances. Claire Osborne, who said she has volunteered in town for 20 years, warned that if the town cannot attract volunteers the town may have to hire outside services at higher costs. A resident asked whether last year’s $185,000 deficit (shown on a public website) had been absorbed by reserves; staff replied that large road work and emergency water repairs were paid from water and roadway reserves.
On revenues, the council discussed a proposed 15% tax increase intended to bring in about $30,000 more for the town. Staff said final household tax effects depend on county-assessed values and the county’s mill-rate calculation, and that an official Truth in Taxation hearing will be held in August; a separate public hearing will be scheduled in July. The transcript records no final adoption of the FY2026 budget or a tax increase vote at this meeting.
Town staff also said a water-system study is underway (soil testing had not been completed at the time of the hearing) to better size future repairs, and officials emphasized an aim to add to reserves over time rather than rely on ad hoc large assessments for catastrophic failures.
The council closed public comment on the budget and returned to regular business; no formal adoption or vote was recorded in the hearing transcript.
