Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Finance Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Budget committee approves finance budget and recommends switching treasurer to hourly pay
Summary
The committee approved the finance budget at $70,000 and recommended converting the treasurer/deputy lines from stipends to hourly pay (treasurer recommended at 12 hours/week) to improve transparency and match expected reconciliation work. Members emphasized outstanding audit/reconciliation work and the need to standardize compensation practice.
The Brentwood Municipal Budget Committee on Nov. 10, 2025, approved the finance budget at $70,000 after an extended discussion about the treasurer—s compensation and the structure of the town—s finance roles.
Committee members and staff described three finance-related lines: a treasurer stipend historically budgeted at $32,000, a proposed deputy treasurer stipend of $2,400 (monthly coverage), and a part-time bookkeeper position budgeted for roughly 8-10 hours per week. Several members said the high stipend equated to an hourly rate ($50—$77/hour depending on whether the role is treated as 8 or 12 weekly hours) that exceeds typical New Hampshire benchmarks for similar towns.
Town Administrator Julie said additional treasurer hours were needed in the near term to support reconciliations: "The auditors are still working. They are returning next week, and, hopefully, now we'll finish next Thursday," she said, describing the ongoing effort to finalize 2024 reconciliations before importing balances into a new financial system.
After comparing local benchmarks and the workload associated with cleaning up prior years, committee members recommended switching the treasurer and deputy lines from stipends to hourly pay (recommended treasurer baseline: 12 hours per week), and agreed to place a conversion and job-description item on a future agenda for the Select Board to act on. The finance appropriation at $70,000 passed following a motion and second.
What this means: The committee approved the appropriation that funds the treasurer/deputy/bookkeeper structure for the coming year, while formally recommending an operational change (hourly conversion and clearer job description) to improve transparency and better align pay with expected duties during reconciliation and audit seasons.
Next steps: Committee staff will circulate job descriptions and place an hourly-conversion recommendation on the next meeting agenda; the Select Board will take final action on position classification and raises.
