Finance committee reviews budget calendar, outreach to towns and capital needs ahead of next fiscal year

Regional School District 13’s finance committee reviewed the budget calendar for the coming year and focused on early outreach to the two towns that fund the district, members said.

At the meeting a presenter explained the district’s budget calendar and noted that a November meeting was added compared with last year but otherwise the schedule remains the same. Committee members urged staff to give the towns ample time to comment so issues do not arise immediately before budget votes and recommended scheduling a joint meeting with the towns’ select boards to improve early engagement.

“The earlier we have the information or comments the better,” a committee member said, arguing a joint board‑selectmen session could give the finance committee a better starting point for its work.

Members discussed a recent change to allocate town impact using a five‑year rolling average and said this is the first year that change will materially affect shares; the committee will watch whether it eases year‑to‑year swings in town contributions. The revaluation of properties effective Oct. 1 was noted as a factor that will likely require mill‑rate adjustments.

The committee moved from schedule and process to capital projects, with several members describing pressing local road and infrastructure needs — culverts on Wire Road and Beer Rock Road and a poor line‑of‑sight location that DOT has flagged as a liability. Members reported the district received a $1,000,000 grant for Shady Lane, which makes that project ready to proceed; they described culvert work as costly and sometimes running into the millions.

Discussion turned to bonding strategy. One member urged using a larger bond to address multiple five‑year projects at once rather than returning repeatedly for smaller amounts, noting prior bonds (members recalled a $6.9 million bond) and a suggestion elsewhere in the meeting of a possible $10 million proposal to capture multiple long‑term needs. Committee members acknowledged voters’ reluctance to approve very large bonds and noted the need to balance scale with political feasibility.

Members also emphasized timely procurement for equipment with volatile supply chains. The committee was told it must purchase generators and boilers for Memorial School within a two‑year window to avoid escalating costs and long lead times for parts sourced overseas.

The committee agreed to identify three potential dates for a joint meeting with select boards in December, to circulate the calendar and to continue work at the next finance committee meeting. With no public commenters online, the meeting adjourned by voice vote.

The committee did not take any formal vote on bonding or capital appropriations at this meeting; those items remain for future agenda sessions.