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Budget committee raises public works maintenance line after debate over aging fleet
Summary
After extensive discussion about recurring, high-cost repairs and older trucks in the fleet, the Town of Buckfield budget committee voted to increase the public works maintenance appropriation from $90,000 to $100,000 to provide additional contingency.
Committee members debated the trade-off between costly ongoing repairs and the expense of replacing aging public-works vehicles. Sam, the town manager, said recent large repairs (including a roughly $30,000 incident last year) and the age of several trucks mean the town could face repeated high-cost maintenance events. Some members argued that higher maintenance funding reduces the risk of mid-year overages; others flagged that continuing to invest heavily in old trucks can be uneconomic.
After discussion the committee voted unanimously to increase the maintenance and repair line for public works from $90,000 to $100,000. Members also asked the town manager to update the budget workbook with the new totals and present revised net-budget figures to the committee and select board.
The committee emphasized that periodic review of the fleet and a longer-term capital replacement plan are still needed to avoid persistent maintenance pressure.
