Chair oversees unanimous approval of $355,500 in FY26 interdepartmental transfers

The finance committee voted unanimously to approve $355,500 in FY26 interdepartmental transfers to cover several line-item shortfalls, the committee heard during an abbreviated meeting.

The transfers address a roughly $245,000 shortfall in public safety, about $49,000 for public works, and smaller deficits in other lines. Mike Basinski, the administrator, told the committee that the select board met earlier and “approved all the transfers” that the finance committee was considering.

Jody Kersey, the finance presenter, told members the public-safety shortfall was driven primarily by wage-related costs, including fire on-call and shift coverage, police overtime and dispatch wages. She said the committee will fund the $355,500 package by reallocating $185,500 from employee benefits and $170,000 from debt-service lines.

A committee member moved to approve transfers of $245,000 to the public-safety line, $49,000 to public works, $7,500 to line 5,000, $13,000 to line 6,000 and $41,000 to line 8,000 — a total of $355,500 — with the funds coming from employee benefits and debt service. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

Committee members also asked about the snow-clearing budget; Kersey said the committee chose not to cover snow-clearing through transfers and instead will address the issue on the tax-rate recap process later in the summer, which will use free cash before certification.

After the vote staff requested that members sign one of the transfer forms that night so the paperwork could be completed. The committee chair closed the meeting with no further substantive business and noted that the next meeting is unlikely before September.