Farmington selectmen review draft 2026 budget, propose $1 million in warrant-article allocations

Vice Chairman Charlie King opened the Board of Selectmen’s Jan. 19 budget workshop at 5 p.m. in the Selectmen’s Chambers to review the town’s draft 2026 operating and capital proposals.

Finance Administrator Kelly Heon presented the master budget spreadsheet showing each department’s 2025 approved budget, current expenditures and 2026 requests, and said some December 2025 invoices had not yet been posted back to the 2025 accounts. Heon told the Board a $60,000 discrepancy on the MS-232 arose because the cable‑TV fund is a special‑revenue fund and not part of the operating budget; the Board agreed to place it as a warrant article this year.

The 2026 executive budget shows a $70,000 increase from 2025, Heon said, driven by a small salary increase for the Town Administrator, the Selectmen secretary position moving to full time, an additional $30,000 for outside administrative consultants and higher health‑insurance costs after changing coverage tiers. Heon said she would apply a previously agreed 10% wage increase to the Town Clerk/Tax Collector, the deputy and an assistant and correct name/salary ordering on the spreadsheet.

The finance budget grew from $185,000 to $322,000, primarily because the draft adds a full‑time finance assistant budgeted at $60,000, a $100,000 finance‑administrator line (which the Board noted could be used for a contract position without benefits), newly budgeted health insurance and the assessing‑clerk salary moved entirely into the finance account. Board member John Scruton suggested the finance‑administrator line could be reduced to $80,000 but the Board kept it at $100,000 for flexibility.

Other departmental notes included: the general assessing contract capped at $25,000 except in revaluation years (the next revaluation is scheduled for 2029); the legal‑fees line held at $100,000 though final 2025 invoices from Drummond and Woodson may increase reported 2025 spending; and personnel‑administration changes including consolidating the Human Resources Administrator salary, reducing personnel liabilities from $30,000 to $20,000, raising health‑reimbursement funding to $30,000 and increasing training to $2,000 to cover certification and conferences.

The Board discussed building maintenance after Sanderson reported a part‑time handyman raised concerns about possible mold and lead paint in town hall. Scruton suggested using part of the repairs and maintenance budget to test the building; several members said staff reported cold‑like symptoms while in the building but not when at home. The government‑buildings custodial line was set at $25,000 after the retirement of a janitor while the Board continued to evaluate whether to hire a part‑time town employee or use a contractor.

Public‑safety budgets for police and fire were described as "lean" with about 5% increases and the Board agreed to move forward with those figures. Building and codes was reduced to rely on part‑time contract inspections (the draft used a $50 per inspection rate to arrive at a $30,000 line). Highway personnel top‑line wages rose about 22% as the budget now reflects a full crew, the October across‑the‑board $1.50 increase and more experienced hires; the Board deferred a decision on overtime adjustments until the full Board could be present.

At the landfill and transfer station the Board agreed to increase a position from $19 an hour to $20 and to include family health insurance for a new full‑time hire, noting those positions historically have been hard to fill. Sanderson said he would follow up on a required visible‑display change for scale certification.

The Board approved continuing funding levels for Cornerstone VNA and Greater Wakefield Resource, approved $2,000 for Meals on Wheels, approved $4,000 for Community Action Program (CAP) and declined Haven’s $2,080 request pending more information about services to Farmington residents.

Sanderson reported the town’s unreserved fund balance was $2,973,535 (14.32% of expenditures) and that retaining 10% would leave roughly $897,455 available above that threshold; with anticipated year‑end unexpended funds the Board estimated about $1,000,000 could be allocated to warrant articles. The Board tentatively allocated that $1,000,000 as follows: $200,000 addition to the ambulance fund, $150,000 for fire vehicles, $150,000 toward highway motorized equipment, $150,000 (building maintenance added to an existing $75,000 for a total of $150,000), $100,000 for bridge projects, $100,000 for road improvement/paving, $100,000 toward the town levy, $55,000 for transportation projects, $50,000 to add to the salt shed fund, $25,000 for landfill closure testing, $25,000 for a revaluation reserve and $20,000 for future technology upgrades. The Board also discussed warrant articles to revise veterans’ tax credits, adopt a service‑connected total‑disability change consistent with 2025 law, a water‑treatment plant evaluation request and authorization to list town parcels for sale with map/lot numbers.

The Board scheduled its next meeting for Monday, Jan. 26, 2026; Budget Committee presentations are set for Jan. 28–29 with the town‑budget public hearing on Feb. 10, 2026 (snow date Feb. 11).

The meeting concluded with a series of nonpublic sessions. Motions to enter nonpublic session under RSA 91‑A:3 II (c), II (i) and II (b) for reputation, legal and hiring matters, respectively, and to exit those sessions passed by roll call votes of 3–0.