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West Jefferson board sets $0.35 tax rate, unanimously approves 5% COLA in FY 2026‑27 budget talks
Summary
The Board of Aldermen set a $0.35 property tax rate and unanimously approved a 5% cost‑of‑living adjustment for town employees as part of initial FY 2026‑27 budget preparations; staff flagged a projected ~10% rise in health insurance costs and identified capital priorities.
The Town of West Jefferson Board of Aldermen reviewed revenue assumptions and early departmental requests at a special meeting March 23 focused on the FY 2026‑27 budget. The board set the property tax rate at $0.35; staff said one penny on the rate equates to $42,218 in revenue.
Town Manager Brantley Price presented administrative budget assumptions, including an estimated Social Security increase of 2.8% for 2026 and a projected 10% increase in health insurance costs from BCBS. Based on those projections, the board unanimously approved a 5% cost‑of‑living adjustment for town employees.
Price listed multiple administrative requests for the coming year, such as downtown Wi‑Fi maintenance, two seasonal porta johns for the north end of town, a pay study, a new server for town hall and continued IT support costs. The board also discussed fee adjustments and line‑item increases tied to operating costs, including potential rises in property insurance.
The board discussed capital funding needs in broad terms and noted several grant and capital project opportunities that might offset costs, including FEMA capital projects and other grant programs. No final vote on the overall FY 2026‑27 budget adoption was recorded during the session; the 5% COLA approval was recorded as unanimously approved by the board.
What’s next: staff will continue to refine budget line items and pursue grant funding opportunities discussed during the meeting.
