Swansea board finalizes draft budget adjustments, adds library CIP and trims ambulance reserve ahead of hearing

Swansea’s selectboard on Monday reviewed its draft operating and capital budget ahead of the formal budget hearing, adjusting several line items and confirming warrant-article placements for February's deliberative session.

A town finance staff member told the board, “I updated the budget using the 2% merit that the board agreed to at their last meeting, which increased it by $62,006.00,” bringing the draft total to $8,924,870 — about a 6.63% increase over last year. Staff and members compared that figure to the town's default budget and discussed efforts to limit overall increases.

The board approved by consensus moving the draft forward for presentation next week and asked staff to prepare an overview PowerPoint for the budget hearing. Staff also said it would try to make slides available to remote viewers and that Kai would attempt to enable streaming for viewers at home.

Line-item changes were made after the town clerk’s request for additional election-related funding tied to three elections next year. Board members agreed to increase election supplies to $7,000 and motor-vehicle office supplies to $3,000 (combined operating increase of roughly $1,000). The board recorded that election payroll had been increased in the draft from $1,500 to $6,000 to cover additional staffing.

The board added a $5,000 capital-improvement request for the Mount Caesar Union Library to the draft so the library can pursue matching grants and other funding opportunities. Selectboard members described the amount as minimal but helpful for grant eligibility.

On capital reserves, members discussed ambulance and fire-truck funding. After debate about timing and bonding strategies, the board agreed to remove the separate ambulance expendable-reserve line and keep a $30,000 line toward a future fire-truck purchase.

Staff also discussed warrant-article placement and public hearings: the 'resend bond authority' article will be moved higher in the warrant (to Article 5), termination of the TIF will be noticed, and SB 2-related language requires separate notice and will be scheduled for a separate hearing (counsel 'Cordell' will confirm timing). Staff said petition warrant articles remain due by Jan. 9.

The board reviewed a Route 10 (Lower Winchester Street) improvement project and said Swansea’s local match is 3% of the town’s 20% share; staff reported about $2,700 had been spent on the project in 2024 and will request updated financial numbers from Keane’s engineer, Brian Ross, to determine whether the article should remain. A CIP committee recommendation to establish an expendable trust for West Swanzey water infrastructure (transcript phrased 'West Swansea') was discussed; staff proposed broadening that article to a general infrastructure expendable trust so funds could serve multiple projects if the board prefers.

Other business included logistics for candidate-night organization (an outside volunteer group offered to handle the event), formation of a combined water-and-sewer study committee and a 250th-anniversary committee with volunteers to be solicited, and a request that staff note in the minutes that the board had previously accepted a Homeland Security emergency-management grant at an earlier meeting.

The selectboard closed the public portion of its meeting and moved into non-public session at the end of the agenda. The draft budget and warrant articles will go to the announced hearings; staff will circulate final edits from counsel and prepare presentation materials for the scheduled hearings and the Feb. 3 deliberative session.