Selectmen hold extra public budget session as residents press for more input

The Board of Selectmen on Wednesday set aside time for an additional public comment session about the Board of Education budget after agreeing to move item 4b earlier in the agenda. The session drew multiple residents who pressed for more opportunities for the public to weigh in and for clearer budget summaries.

A citizen read a letter from Bruce Waller, a member of the Board of Finance, saying the removal of "present to speak" from a recent special finance meeting prevented public input and urging the Selectmen to send the adopted budget back to the Board of Finance to allow a formal public hearing. (The letter was read into the record by a resident.)

"It is the fair, democratic, open, and transparent way for the process to go forward," the letter said, urging the board to reconsider the schedule.

Stephanie (identified in the meeting as chair of the Board of Finance) defended the special meeting format and the compressed timeline that produced the recent finance meeting. "We have had some of the lengthiest present‑to‑speak sessions of any board in town," she said, and noted the Board of Finance had made cumulative reductions earlier in the budget season.

Public commenters urged clearer, short executive summaries for each department, easier access to the underlying numbers, and factual messaging to counter circulating misinformation. One resident noted that the school budget already includes roughly $670,000 in grant‑funded lines and asked that the board reflect where grant dollars reduce taxpayer burden.

Selectmen and staff then reviewed ways to reach a $70,000 reduction target the town needs to implement before the new budget cycle. Proposed adjustments ranged from trimming a contingency in the employee insurance line, modest reductions in AED/defibrillator servicing and planning lines, minor cuts to two fire department lines, and operational changes at the transfer station that could reduce tipping and bulk costs. Town staff agreed to prepare specific department and line numbers so motions can be made with clear references.

"We will put specific department and line numbers to each of these so that we can make the motions with the proper line numbers," the First Selectman said, and the board scheduled a short Zoom‑only special meeting for Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. to vote on the proposed edits.

Tax timing: the town also announced tax bills will be delayed roughly 10 days because of the budget timeline; the payment window for this cycle will be August 1 through September 2.

Next steps: staff will circulate the line numbers and draft motions; the Selectmen will meet by Zoom to vote on the $70,000 in adjustments. The Selectmen urged residents to continue offering feedback through the committee and planned outreach channels.