Hollis Finance Committee approves 2026 budgets, authorizes Select Board to spend up to $50,000 for road salt

The Hollis Finance Committee voted on Feb. 24 to authorize the Select Board to use up to $50,000 from a $200,000 discretionary town fund for additional road salt and approved multiple 2026 budget items and non‑municipal funding requests.

Chair called the meeting to order and read the roll before moving to new business, asking the committee to authorize the Select Board to draw up to $50,000 from a designated fund for additional salt purchases. A motion and a second were made and the committee approved the authorization by voice.

Finance presenter Dick reviewed the administration budget and said he had reclassified certain paid family/medical leave expenses into the Medicare/FICA category. He also told members the 'outside services' line rose to roughly $19,500 because the town outsourced payroll to a commercial payroll provider for the year. When a committee member asked why the line had increased so much, Dick said outsourcing will reduce staff processing time and that the fee covers the annual payroll service.

The committee approved the administration budget (presented at $211,000), then considered and approved the tax collector and broadcasting budgets after brief discussion of wage and mileage items in the tax collector budget and a small reduction in the broadcast line tied to meeting hours.

Angela Mackey, treasurer of the Hollis Center Public Library, presented the library’s request for a $1,500 increase and reported that, excluding grant and capital fundraising for a recent basement project, the library ran an operational deficit of about $8,000 last year. Mackey said the library completed basement rehabilitation and installed heat pumps through a roughly $15,000 grant, and reported last year’s circulation at 6,713 and database membership of about 1,600 adults and 471 children. The committee voted to accept the library’s budget request.

Lee Clarman, chair of the Conservation Commission, asked the committee to approve $1,200 for the commission — a $600 increase — to cover conference attendance, association dues, outreach and trail maintenance plans, including parking improvements at Googan’s Woods. The committee noted a backup-sheet discrepancy; the presenter confirmed the correct total is $1,200 and the item was approved.

The committee reviewed non‑municipal funding requests totaling $24,962 if all recommended amounts were approved. Among the items discussed were increases or base funding for York County Community Action, Caring Unlimited, Southern Maine Agency on Aging, Scouts, the Buckton Hollis Historical Society, and others. The committee discussed a request from an organization identified in the materials as 'Sweeter' seeking an increase from $2,500 to $5,000; members asked for more information from the organization but ultimately voted on the non‑municipal package as presented.

There was no public comment. The committee scheduled its next meeting for March 3, 2026, and adjourned after a voice vote.

Actions taken at the meeting include authorization for the Select Board to use up to $50,000 for salt and approval of the administration, tax collector, broadcasting, library and conservation budgets, plus the non‑municipal grant recommendations. Several items were approved by voice with no roll‑call tallies recorded in the transcript.