Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tamworth Select Board opens public hearing on 2026 budget, preserves fund balance and recommends warrant articles
Summary
At a Feb. 10 public hearing, the Tamworth Select Board reviewed the proposed 2026 budget, said it will not draw on the unassigned fund balance to offset the tax levy, and issued roll-call recommendations on the majority of warrant articles that will go to Town Meeting.
Tamworth — The Tamworth Select Board opened a public hearing on the proposed 2026 budget on Feb. 10, reviewed key revenue and expense changes and recommended the majority of warrant articles that will appear at Town Meeting. The board said it will not draw from the town’s unassigned fund balance to reduce the amount to be raised by taxes for 2026.
The Select Board chair opened the hearing and explained that most budget debate had already taken place at prior Select Board meetings and that the printed warrant would be issued this week. Town staff gave a budget overview: municipal employees are proposed to receive a 3% cost-of-living increase in 2026; PrimeX property and liability insurance increased by about 4.6%; and the town changed its health insurance plan, resulting in an estimated 22% decrease in health insurance costs. The town’s overall appropriation was described in the meeting transcript as an 11% decrease from the prior year.
Finance staff reviewed the town’s unassigned fund balance, saying the annual rollover in recent years has varied between about $400,000 and $600,000. For 2025 the rollover was estimated at roughly $270,000, leaving an estimated unassigned fund balance of about $1,700,000 (approximately 13% of the town budget). The town’s policy target range for the unassigned fund balance was described in the meeting as roughly 8–15%. Select Board members said they opted not to use the fund balance to offset the 2026 appropriation and instead will allow it to remain invested and consider adjustments when setting the tax rate in the fall.
The chair read each warrant article aloud and the board took roll-call recommendation votes on them. Among the actions recorded in the meeting: the Select Board recommended Article 3 (amendment to the veterans’ disability tax-credit wording to increase an optional credit) and approved funding recommendations for capital items including a $157,000 addition to the fire truck capital reserve fund (Article 5) and a $1,459,080 public works appropriation moved forward at the road agent’s request (Article 15). The Select Board also recorded recommendations on library, transfer-station, emergency services and other operating and petition articles; petitioners and residents spoke for several warrant articles during the hearing.
The hearing concluded with a motion and roll-call vote to close the public hearing. After the hearing the board conducted routine business: approving minutes, a disabled fireworks permit, a CDBG grant agreement, an audit engagement letter, a timber yield tax assessment and veterans’ tax credit applications.
What happens next: The Select Board’s votes at this meeting were recommendations to place items on the Town Meeting warrant; final decisions on petition articles and warrant articles occur at Town Meeting and where applicable by voter ballot. The Select Board and staff said more detailed cost, insurance and legal information would be available at Town Meeting for articles that drew public concern.
