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Selectmen review budget priorities: roads, mutual aid, trust funds and town-clerk deputy funding
Summary
During budget discussion the board weighed raising elderly exemption thresholds, repurposing small trust funds for repairs, budgeting for road and bridge work (including Bush Mountain Bridge), and funding a deputy for the town clerk; members deferred some decisions pending engineering costs and further research.
Selectmen spent significant time reviewing draft budget priorities and trust-fund requests as they prepare warrant articles for the next town meeting.
Key budget items discussed included increasing contributions to the road and bridge repair fund (a proposed $75,000 warrant for 2025), considering a $10,000 withdrawal from a trust fund for townhouse roof repairs, possible repurposing of a Bush Mountain Bridge fund, and noting that existing forest-fire trust balances (about $10,000) no longer meet expected mutual-aid exposures. Board members agreed to return the little-used forest-fire equipment trust to the general fund and to await engineering estimates before finalizing bridge warrant amounts.
Personnel and benefits: Selectmen discussed the town clerkrequest for a deputy position (current request $8,000) and debated increasing that allocation (one member suggested $15,000) so the clerk could reduce hours; consensus was to consult the clerk and consider whether a deputy or pay increase better meets needs.
Elderly tax exemption: The board reviewed current income and asset thresholds (single $25,000 income / $50,000 assets; married $30,000 income) and heard suggestions to raise income limits to $50,000 and asset limits to $75,000 or higher; members asked staff to prepare comparative figures from neighboring towns.
Next steps: The board will refine warrant-article language, get engineering cost estimates for major capital projects, confirm trust-fund accounting with the trustee, and bring a budget draft back for further consideration at the next meeting.
