Selectmen approve FY26 adjustments, allocate $850,000 surplus to cut taxes and set aside $150,000 for road emergencies; approve loans, licenses and appointments

The Skowhegan Board of Selectmen on June 2 approved revised FY26 departmental wage adjustments, voted to use $850,000 of surplus to offset property taxes and appropriated $150,000 to the highway capital reserve for emergency road and sidewalk repairs.

The changes to FY26 budget lines were presented by Finance staff Tricia Austin, who told the board the packet showed “the line items and the expense lines where I was given direction to go back and work on the wage sections of each department.” The board voted to adopt the adjusted department requests as presented.

Why it matters: The surplus allocation reduces the town’s tax burden for the coming year and directs a portion of the one-time funds to immediate infrastructure needs. Selectmen and staff discussed whether recent FEMA reimbursements should be routed into an emergency capital reserve for future storms; staff said they are awaiting auditors’ guidance before designating those funds.

In other business the board approved a slate of routine and programmatic items — including liquor and victualer licenses for local restaurants, a $100,000 revolving-loan fund (RLF) loan to the Snack Shack, $13,035 for townwide computer upgrades, $2,500 for planning office furniture, and $7,722.23 to complete repairs on a JCB backhoe for the solid waste operation. The board also approved the town meeting warrant and the schedule for the June 9–10 election and town meeting.

The RLF loan of $100,000 to Erin Hall, owner/operator of the…