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Otis Select Board, Finance Committee tentatively agree to 7% COLA and prioritize capital projects from free cash
Summary
At a March 27 joint meeting, the Otis Select Board and Finance Committee tentatively agreed to a 7% cost-of-living adjustment for town employees, prioritized several capital projects (Tahoe, Town Hall roof, sewer extension, OPEB, highway truck, paving) to be funded from free cash, and asked staff to finalize budget spreadsheets and tax-rate scenarios.
The Otis Select Board and Finance Committee resumed budget talks Friday and tentatively agreed to a 7% cost-of-living adjustment for town employees while identifying a short list of capital priorities to be funded from available free cash.
The joint meeting convened at 9:02 a.m. at Town Hall. Gary Thomas, chair, and other members reviewed remaining department budgets; the previously voted school number had already been entered into the budget spreadsheet and the group moved on to salaries and capital requests.
After lengthy discussion, the board reached a tentative agreement on a 7% COLA for staff, contingent on final spreadsheet verification. Brandi Page will enter the final figures, double-check the calculations and circulate the updated budget sheets for review before any final vote.
Board members prioritized several capital projects, naming a Tahoe vehicle, Town Hall roof repairs, a sewer extension, additional funding for OPEB, a highway truck and paving work. The board agreed to fund those items from available free cash in order to preserve reserves — keeping more than $500,000 in free cash for contingencies, according to the committee’s review.
Brandi Page also presented a tax-rate scenario based on the current figures; the board asked her to verify numbers and return final sheets before adopting a tax rate. Members additionally discussed drafting an article to begin raising funds for a proposed highway garage, but no formal vote on that article was recorded at the meeting.
The meeting adjourned at 11:45 a.m. The board directed staff to circulate the finalized spreadsheets and any revised tax-rate impact information ahead of the next meeting for formal consideration.
