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Resident tells Kensington Select Board it approved a library ballot without adequate budget detail
Summary
A resident told the Kensington Select Board it lacked due diligence when it supported a library ballot, saying the ballot's major line items lacked line‑item detail and contingency information; board members replied that department budgets and warrant materials are available through the usual review process.
A resident criticized the Kensington Select Board Wednesday evening for supporting amendments for a library ballot without reviewing a detailed budget, saying they had to request documents directly from the library committee and still found the ballot 'not even a budget.'
"How can you make a decision based on a budget when it's not even a budget?" the resident asked, adding that the ballot contained two major line items — a multi‑million dollar ballot item and an architect's fee — without sufficient line‑item detail or contingency breakdowns. The speaker said the board voted unanimously to support the amendments but did so without seeing full documentation.
Chair (the board member presiding) responded that departmental budgets and warrant materials are available and that the board reviews proposed warrant items during the budget review process. Staff noted that some warrant items are withheld during review if additional information is needed.
The resident framed the concern as a process issue rather than a personal attack: 'I'm attacking the process,' they said. Board members acknowledged the objection as fair and described the path by which departmental proposals and financial details are meant to be reviewed before appearing on the warrant.
Why it matters: The resident's complaint raises transparency and oversight questions about how large capital proposals (the transcript cites a '3 point something million dollars' ballot item and references '4 and a half million' in the discussion) are vetted before the board takes a public position. Those figures were discussed in public comment but the transcript does not show the board adopting or changing the ballot item during the meeting.
What happens next: The board explained that warrant materials and department budgets are the place to find line‑item detail and directed staff to continue routine budget review; no additional formal action on the library ballot was recorded in the meeting minutes on the public record.
