Putney Selectboard approves Town Meeting Warning, accepts FY2026 budgets with higher sewer and water assessments

Aileen Chute, chair of the Putney Selectboard, called a special meeting to order at 5:31 p.m. on Monday and the board approved the Annual Town Meeting Warning and accepted the FY2026 operating budgets.

Town Manager Karen Astley presented Draft 5 of the Town Meeting Warning and said she had added Article 7 and Article 8; she also noted that fund balance accounts will be revisited on a future agenda. Selectboard member Eric McGowan moved to approve the warning; Nate Snell seconded the motion, which passed. The minutes do not record a roll-call tally.

On budgets, the board reviewed proposed FY2026 figures. The sewer and water budgets included higher general-fund assessments that the minutes say will increase user fees to cover administrative costs. The highway budget was presented as level-funded. The general fund was reduced and the minutes state the tax rate will go down; the exact amount of the tax-rate decrease is not specified in the minutes. Committee member Fletcher Proctor questioned the totals; the minutes say the numbers had been double-checked and could be revisited and amended at Town Meeting if needed. Eric McGowan moved to accept the budgets as presented; Peg Alden seconded and the motion passed. The minutes do not specify vote counts.

During the public-comment portion the minutes note consideration of an informational session in February; the speaker is not recorded in the minutes. The board set its next meeting for Feb. 5, 2025, and adjourned at 6:00 p.m.

The minutes were recorded by Rachel Rhein, recording clerk.