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Finance director outlines audits, fee studies and timeline for possible ballot measure
Summary
Town finance staff told the council they expect audit adoption in April 2026 and outlined a sequence of fee and nexus studies that could enable development‑impact fees and better online transparency; staff flagged the March 25 budget preview as a key date for further direction.
Town finance staff told the council the department is advancing audits and fee work staff say are prerequisites for clearer financial planning and potential revenue measures.
Finance Director Tony McBarlane described the schedule and next steps: the town expects to adopt the outstanding audit in April 2026 and to phase in related implementations by July 1, 2027. After the master fee study finishes, staff will start an impact‑fee (nexus) study for development fees; that impact‑fee work is expected to carry into the next fiscal year and, if adopted, could take effect in January 2027. "After we complete the fee study, we'll then move on to this next study, to see if we can implement some development impact fees," McBarlane said.
Nut graf — why it matters: The audit and fee study schedules are central to the town’s ability to adopt new fees, maintain reserve policies and justify any future revenue measure. Staff also noted that improved OpenGov reporting (monthly permit status and expense views) is on the near‑term plan and should be operational in the first half of the next fiscal year, which respondents said would help public transparency.
Council reaction and next steps: Council members pressed on sequencing and asked whether fee studies would be cost‑recovery neutral. McBarlane said fee study work is intended to identify user fees and recoverable costs and that some advanced planning fees could be self‑funding. The council set a March 25 meeting to review an initial budget preview and to discuss whether to pursue a ballot measure; staff was asked to return with detailed cost estimates and options for a potential measure and to incorporate audit and fee‑study timelines into the budget calendar.
No votes were taken; staff will prepare targeted memos with timelines and specific dollar estimates to support council decisions in the budget process.
