Budget Committee backs $5.03 million town budget and recommends most warrant articles, rejects reduced Highway and fire apparatus amounts

The Winchester Budget Committee recommended a $5,031,020 town budget during its Jan. 6, 2025 meeting and approved a series of warrant articles covering departmental and capital needs while rejecting committee recommendations to reduce two capital articles.

The committee voted 5-0 to recommend the town’s bottom‑line budget of $5,031,020. Committee members approved routine operational and capital items including the Water Department budget of $501,916 and the Sewer Department budget of $571,392, each by unanimous recommendation. The committee also recommended $15,000 for town buildings, $15,000 toward a police cruiser replacement, and line items for assessing, computers and storm damage funds.

The meeting recorded several department budget increases driven by modest pay adjustments and one new position. Theresa Sepe, the Selectboard representative, said the Cemetery budget rose because of a $2.00 hourly pay increase plus the annual 2.5% adjustment; the committee approved the revised Cemetery total of $86,342 (motion carried 4-1). Amy Bond, Finance Supervisor, said the Transfer Station (Landfill) budget rose to $487,208 from an earlier $451,383 due to a $2.00 pay increase, the annual 2.5% raise and the addition of a part‑time position intended to attract applicants; the committee approved that amount (motion carried 4-0-1). Bond told the committee that revenues from the transfer station are expected to help offset operating costs.

Two capital articles prompted contested committee votes. Kevin Bazan, Budget Committee chair, argued the committee should not reduce the Highway article from $80,000 to $40,000 because lowering the annual put‑aside “breeds voter confusion and shorts the capital reserve account for future purchases,” and he moved that the committee not recommend the reduced $40,000 amount; the motion to not recommend carried 3-2. Bazan made a parallel motion not to recommend the Fire Apparatus article reduced to $40,000; that motion also carried 3-2. Theresa Sepe said supporters of reduced amounts believed smaller asks would be easier for voters to approve, while Bazan said voters should be presented with the full funding need and allowed to decide.

Other warrant items the committee recommended included $18,707 for the Avitar assessing/revaluation account (an annual set‑aside), $10,000 for computers, $10,000 for the beach ramp (motion carried 3-2), $10,000 for the Storm Damage Fund, $10,000 for the Winchester National Bank Common account (motion carried 3-1-1), and $1,000 for invasive plant control shared with local partners. Article #16 was non‑monetary and was not voted on by the committee. The committee also recommended Article #17 to preserve combined veteran and disabled veteran credits totaling $3,750 (motion carried 5-0).

The committee’s recorded votes match the recommendations sent to the Town Warrant: several items were approved unanimously by the committee, while Highway and Fire Apparatus reductions were explicitly not recommended by a 3-2 vote.

What's next: The committee transmitted its recommendations to appear on the town warrant for voter consideration. The meeting minutes list Monica Truesdell as the minutes taker (T.A. Assistant); the transcript does not record an exact adjournment time.