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Groton Selectboard approves budget with adjustments, agrees to use $30,000 from fund balance
Summary
The Groton Selectboard approved a revised general and highway budget with line-item reductions and voted to use $30,000 from fund balance; members said the net amount to be raised in taxes is roughly $81,000 before final warnings and any further adjustments.
The Groton Selectboard on a voice vote approved its proposed general and highway budgets with adjustments and agreed to take $30,000 from the town’s fund balance to reduce the tax impact.
Chair (speaker 1) told the board the combined budget increase before adjustments was $60,300, which he described as a 4.8% rise: “the total budget increase between the highway and the general fund is $60,300 which comes to 4.8% increase.” Staff member (speaker 4) and other members proposed modest reductions — including lowering the assumed interest rate on borrowing and trimming small line items and fuel estimates — that the board said would bring the overall increase down.
The board also discussed using reserves and timing of state highway aid and FEMA/BORIC reimbursements to offset next year’s revenue needs. Staff member (speaker 4) explained that earlier-than-expected state highway aid and incoming FEMA/BORIC reimbursements should improve the town’s fund balances in 2025.
During the meeting Committee member (speaker 3) moved to approve the budget with the agreed adjustments; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. Committee member (speaker 3) later moved that the board “use $30,000 from the fund balance,” a motion seconded by Staff member (speaker 4); the board again approved the motion by voice.
Board members described the net amount to be raised in taxes as roughly $81,000 before any final warnings or additional small changes. Speaker 1 said the figure was “reasonable” given higher costs and limited local control over some fixed expenses.
The board said it would finalize presentation figures for the town meeting warning and publish the final budget numbers before the warning deadlines. There was no roll-call vote recorded in the transcript; the approvals were recorded as voice votes.
