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Lyman board approves FY27 line items and revenue offsets; key votes at a glance
Summary
The Lyman Select Board and Budget Committee approved a range of FY27 line items and reserves — including roads, buildings, parks, fire department corrections, and recommended cash offsets and a $50,000 overlay — in a single session that finalized recommended warrant figures.
The Lyman Select Board and Budget Committee voted on numerous FY27 line items at a June 2 joint meeting. Most items were approved unanimously by those present; a few line items passed with split votes after discussion.
Approved items and notable votes
- Salaries and benefits: $1,272,559 — approved; discussed at length (see separate coverage).
- General administration: $207,842 — approved unanimously.
- Elections: $11,300 — approved unanimously.
- General admin insurance: $34,660 — approved unanimously.
- Animal welfare: $8,85 (amount in transcript unclear) — approved unanimously.
- Health and human services: $2,400 — motion passed with a recorded 3–1 vote after one member asked for restored contributions to Life Flight and Caring Unlimited.
- Roads: $856,436 — approved unanimously.
- Buildings and grounds: $854,417 — approved unanimously.
- Transfer station: $377,715 — approved unanimously.
- Parks (Bunganut Park / beach reclamation reserve): $25,000 — approved unanimously; members debated reclassifying the reserve to explicitly label it for beach reclamation to improve accountability.
- Town Hall reserve (expansion): $100,000 — approved; budget committee had been split (3–2) on recommendation.
- Revaluation reserve: $38,000 — approved 3–1; members noted the town may need substantially more (estimates ranged from $250,000 to $350,000) for a future revaluation cycle.
- Comprehensive plan reserve: $10,000 — approved; discussion noted SNPDC involvement and that full plan updates commonly cost $100,000 or more, while $10,000 was set as a starting reserve.
- Ordinance review: $5,000 — approved unanimously to support code updates tied to recent state law changes.
- Facilities equipment reserve: $10,000 — approved after extended debate about the need for a written plan.
- Fire hydrants: $6,000 — approved.
- Charter Commission reserve: $1,000 — approved.
- Day Road / Cousins Bridge: $25,000 — approved; members discussed seeking state funding due to heavy truck traffic tied to state work.
- Unforeseen circumstances (contingency): $10,000 with an explicit cap at $10,000 — motion amended and approved; discussion noted prior uses such as equipment repairs.
- Fire department vehicle reserve: $80,000 — approved.
- Goodwood Mills Fire and Rescue budget correction: $949,216 (corrected figure after a formula error) — approved unanimously after correction was presented.
- Outsourced general administration: $79,595 — approved; outsourced other: $249,804 (discussion noted library and local historical society items) — approved after discussion; the Budget Committee had tabled some outsourced items earlier.
Revenue offsets and overlay
The board approved recommended cash offsets totaling $1,930,000 and separately approved a $50,000 overlay (a state-allowed cushion for abatements). Members discussed the components — fund balance, excise tax estimates, transfer station revenue and overlay — before voting.
What happens next: Approved line items will be included in the town warrant as part of the FY27 budget process. The board asked town staff to provide additional planning documents for several items (notably facilities equipment and Bunganut Park) in future meetings.
