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Colebrook Selectboard proposes $6.09 million municipal budget; projects 34-cent tax-rate increase
Summary
Selectboard members presented a $6,091,359 municipal budget for 2026 that would raise the town tax rate from $7.25 to an estimated $7.59 per $1,000 if warrant articles pass; the board plans to use $200,000 in fund balance to limit the tax impact.
The Colebrook Selectboard on Feb. 4 proposed a $6,091,359 municipal budget for 2026 and outlined a plan that would raise the municipal tax rate from $7.25 to an estimated $7.59 per $1,000 of assessed value — a 34-cent increase — if voters approve the warrant articles on March 10.
Selectboard member Sue Collins presented the budget line by line and said the town plans to use $200,000 from fund balance to reduce the amount to be raised by taxes from $3,174,830 to $2,924,830. The board said the proposed municipal budget does not include school, county, or state education taxes.
The board attributed much of the increase to higher personnel costs: a proposed 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment for town employees, rising wages and benefits, and higher retirement and insurance costs. The Selectboard also noted an unusual timing item: there will be 53 payrolls in 2026 (an extra payroll that occurs every six years), which the board said does not change the tax impact.
Several one-time and recurring costs were highlighted: a $47,100 one-time purchase of municipal finance software in Data Processing intended to lower future support costs; an expected increase in debt-service interest due to a short-term borrowing last year; and line-item changes across departments including recreation, cemetery maintenance and landfill-closure monitoring.
The Selectboard read the full warrant for the town meeting and reminded residents that the polls and the meeting will be held in March, with polls open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the deliberative session at the Colebrook School Gymnasium on March 10, 2026.
The public hearing closed at 6:45 p.m. The Selectboard will present the warrant articles to voters at the March meeting, where each article will be decided by majority vote.
