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Middlebury finance board reviews appendix listing $1.87 million in proposed cuts
Summary
The Middlebury Board of Finance reviewed Appendix 2.11 — a list of proposed departmental cuts and reserve adjustments totaling $1,873,865.22 — at its March 11 meeting and approved prior minutes and adjourned; the board scheduled a joint meeting March 18 to continue budget work.
The Middlebury Board of Finance reviewed Appendix 2.11, a detailed list of proposed budgetary cuts and reserve adjustments totaling $1,873,865.22, at its March 11 meeting in the Town Hall Conference Room.
The appendix, entered into the record as part of the meeting minutes, breaks reductions down by department and line item. The document lists the Reserve for FEMA at $123,375 and Municipal Infrastructure at $41,125, which together account for $164,500 applied to Greenway equipment purchases. The appendix also shows proposed reductions to Park/Greenway maintenance (reduced to $120,000 from $138,523 requested) and Snow & Ice removal (reduced to $150,000 from $208,779 requested). Pension and post‑employment reserves were proposed to be reduced, with the pension reserve line showing $300,000 after a $37,000 cut from a $337,000 request.
Seth Bernstein, the town chief financial officer, is listed in the meeting attendance and is noted in the minutes as the person who will explain pension reserve adjustments at future discussion; the minutes do not record a detailed spoken explanation in the text provided. The appendix also lists capital items and notes that engine lease payments for Engine 5 and Engine 2 are to be moved to the capital budget rather than the operating budget.
Procedurally, the board approved prior meeting minutes with a pair of corrections requested by Rita Smith, a board member: first, clarifying the wording about funding sources to read 'Reserve for FEMA, $123,375 and Municipal Infrastructure, $41,125, for a total of $164,500'; and second, entering the spreadsheet of proposed cuts as Appendix 2.11 into the record. Don Andrews moved to approve the Feb. 11, 2026 special joint meeting minutes; Smith seconded and the motion was approved. Smith later moved to approve the Feb. 26, 2026 minutes; Dawn Albizu‑Calabrese seconded and that motion passed. Dawn Albizu‑Calabrese moved to adjourn; Charles Larkin seconded and the meeting ended at 9:50 p.m.
The appendix provides line‑by‑line figures for many departments (finance, tax collector, town clerk, parks and recreation, police, buildings and grounds, public works, library, employee benefits and others). Where the appendix shows a requested amount and the board’s proposed cut, the minutes append the board’s chosen 'BOS' cut and notes when items were moved to capital or canceled. For example, certain professional services and copy‑machine reserves were trimmed, a proposed POCD reserve of $30,000 was cut to $10,000 in the board’s mark, and the total of salary‑related FICA changes is shown in the appendix as reduced from $550,000 requested to $479,000 after selections.
Next procedural steps recorded in the minutes: the board scheduled a Special Joint Board of Finance/Board of Selectmen meeting for Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Conference Room to continue budget work.
