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Committee recommends $14,100 FY26 cell-phone stipend, $50/month for field staff
Summary
After reviewing five options, the committee recommended a FY26 ceiling of about $14,100 for phone stipends, $50/month for field personnel and a data‑collection requirement for reimbursed months; department directors will decide allocations for remaining funds.
The Finance and Human Resource Committee recommended that the village budget a $14,100 ceiling for cell‑phone reimbursements in fiscal 2026, including a $50‑per‑month stipend targeted for field staff and a requirement that employees keep a simple usage log for months they request reimbursement.
Why it matters: Committee members said field employees (inspectors, DPW staff) need reliable mobile access and that the village should recognize that operational use differs across positions. At the same time, several members sought safeguards to avoid issuing village phones to all employees and to collect data to make future, evidence‑based policy choices.
What happened: Staff presented five policy options ranging from issuing village phones for some roles to ad‑hoc monthly reimbursement. A committee member moved that the committee recommend a FY26 appropriation of about $14,100 with two caveats: (1) field workers receive $50/month when they use their personal phones for village business, and (2) employees keep a brief usage log for reimbursed months. The motion passed.
Key details: Staff and members discussed current expenditures (committee estimated roughly $11.75/month per stipend now equates to about $14,100/year) and potential administrative approaches, including monthly reimbursements, ad‑hoc requests for specific months (e.g., conference travel or curbside voting), and policy changes for future years. The committee asked staff to collect usage data over the first months of FY26 and to return a report for review.
What’s next: Staff will implement the recommendation for the FY26 budget and report back to the committee with six months of usage data and an administrative proposal for distribution of the remaining funds.
