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Select Board reviews preliminary budget amid rising insurance, utility and staffing costs
Summary
Board members reviewed preliminary FY2027 budget assumptions Feb. 9, noting increases in utilities, insurance, health benefits and transfer‑station monitoring; staff flagged potential savings, grant opportunities for stormwater work, and scheduled department budget presentations for Feb. 23.
The Hamden Select Board spent the bulk of its Feb. 9 meeting reviewing preliminary budget numbers and discussing fiscal pressures for the coming year.
Staff presented preliminary figures with salaries held at current levels pending cost‑of‑living adjustments; employee benefits were modeled with an assumed health‑insurance increase. The presentation noted several budget items driving pressure: higher utility bills (including for municipal buildings and new pump houses), a projected increase in property/liability insurance, ongoing unemployment claims tied to on‑call seasonal workers, and higher transfer station monitoring and testing costs. The board discussed potential offsets including shifting some transfer‑station costs to operations, vendor contracting decisions, and grant programs (the MVP stormwater program was mentioned as a possible funding source for drainage work near the town hall and library).
Board members also discussed the town's shared public‑health nurse position and Maven reporting: staff described the position as roughly five hours per week focused on Maven disease reporting; members asked staff to confirm whether the duty could be absorbed into internal services.
Capital and one‑time expenses were debated: an AV upgrade for multiple town spaces, security camera bids, senior center HVAC and roofing projects, equipment acquisitions (including a loader and potential cruiser replacements), and the long‑awaited fire brush truck purchase. The board targeted Feb. 23 to receive police, fire and highway department budgets for more detailed review.
Board members repeatedly warned of tight years ahead and urged careful prioritization of warrant articles and capital requests. Staff will refine numbers, confirm utility and insurance estimates, and return with updated budgets at future meetings.
