Selectmen and budget committee debrief urges clearer capital planning, departmental ownership

Select Board Chair Joanne Haight and members convened a budget committee debrief during the board’s May 4 work session to review the 2026 process and identify improvements.

Courtney Delaney relayed feedback from absent budget committee members and noted a desire for more or different information from department heads to justify requests, particularly for capital projects. The group agreed better documentation and clearer timelines would help decision-making.

Selectman Adam Heard emphasized cost containment and suggested budget discussions explicitly identify areas for savings; he also recommended using full-year projections and year-to-date performance to inform operating budget reviews. Roger Plimmer said department heads have generally adhered to operating budgets but that capital requests need more rigorous review and questioned whether department heads should own their capital improvement plans. Todd Horn responded that if ownership is expected, the responsibility must be written into job duties.

Julie Dolan proposed showing a range for replacement years in the capital improvement plan to emphasize the draft nature of the schedule and encouraged department heads to provide quotes and clearer expectations when presenting CIP items. Mike Henriques described the overall 2026 budget process as successful and framed proposed changes as margin adjustments rather than wholesale process overhaul.

The Board and staff agreed next steps will include clarifying expectations for department submissions, considering coaching for department heads, and coordinating HR-level clarifications of line versus governance responsibilities. The work session adjourned at 5:00 PM.