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Hope Select Board approves FY26 municipal budget; street lights vote splits 4–1
Summary
At its April 18 meeting the Hope Select Board approved line-item votes for the FY26 municipal budget, passing most measures unanimously and approving a $1,400 street-lights allocation on a 4–1 vote. The board also approved revenue estimates and reserves.
The Hope Select Board on April 18 approved line-item allocations for its fiscal year 2026 municipal budget, voting through administration, public safety, public works, reserves and revenue estimates.
Chair Sarah Ann Smith called the meeting to order at 5:05 p.m. The board addressed the Administration cost center, listed at $509,897, and approved its component lines: Select Board member Charles Weidman moved to approve $356,966 for Town Administration (seconded by Joe Tassi); $87,680 for General Administration (moved by Weidman, seconded by Wayne Luce); $12,751 for Municipal Buildings (moved by Weidman, seconded by Luce); professional services (moved by Weidman, seconded by Luce); and $3,000 for General Assistance (moved by Weidman, seconded by Crystal Robinson). All of those motions were recorded as passing unanimously, 5–0. The transcript lists the professional-services amount as “$49,50”; that numeric formatting appears to be an error and is noted below.
Under the Public Safety cost center, listed at $320,250, the board approved $8,521 for Animal Control, $147,599 for Ambulance services and $164,130 for the Fire Department; all motions were moved by Charles Weidman, seconded by fellow board members, and recorded as passing 5–0.
The board then considered Public Works, listed at $1,008,569. The board approved $13,369 for Recreation (moved by Weidman, seconded by Joe Tassi) and $924,533 for Roads (moved by Weidman, seconded by Crystal Robinson), each on unanimous 5–0 votes. Wayne Luce moved to approve $1,400 for Street Lights and Joe Tassi seconded; that motion passed 4–1, with Select Board member Charles Weidman recorded as opposing. The board also approved $59,817 for Sanitation and $9,450 for Cemeteries (motions moved by Weidman and seconded by Luce), each 5–0.
The reserve cost center of $73,523 was approved (moved by Weidman, seconded by Joe Tassi) on a 5–0 vote. The board approved revenue estimates of $877,076 (moved by Weidman, seconded by Crystal Robinson) on a 5–0 vote.
The meeting concluded when Charles Weidman moved to adjourn at 8:17 p.m.; Joe Tassi seconded and the motion passed 5–0.
What happens next: The votes recorded authoritatively in the minutes adopt the line-item allocations described above; any implementation steps (expenditure authorizations or warrant approvals) would follow the board’s usual fiscal procedures.
