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Sharon Selectboard reviews FY27 budget drafts; defers two first-time appropriation requests to Town Meeting warning
Summary
The Sharon Selectboard reviewed FY27 operating and highway budgets, heard highway capital priorities including repairs to the Green Bridge (Bridge 15), and decided to place first-time appropriation requests from The Family Place ($1,500) and Health Hub ($1,000) as separate warned articles on the 2026 Town Meeting warning rather than include them in the proposed budget.
The Sharon Selectboard met Dec. 6, 2025, to continue work on the town's fiscal 2027 budget, reviewing drafts of the Highway Operating, Highway Infrastructure, Highway Equipment and General Operating funds and considering new appropriation requests.
Finance Manager Lucy Pierpont and Treasurer Deb Jones presented revisions to the highway-budget drafts and fund-balance recommendations. Highway Supervisor Allen Wight identified three priority highway projects: Bridge 15 (the Green Bridge over the White River at the Fay Brook Road and Route 14 intersection), repair work on a section of Beaver Meadow Road, and maintenance needs on Academy Drive. The board received those priorities as part of the operating plan for FY27.
After reviewing the General Operating Fund and Recreation budgets, the board opted not to include two first-time appropriation requests in the proposed FY27 budget. The requests' The Family Place requested $1,500 and Health Hub requested $1,000' will instead be placed as individual warned articles on the 2026 Town Meeting warning for voters to consider. The board's minutes record that members made the decision during the budget-review session rather than adopting the appropriations into the draft budget.
Administrator Nicola Shipman and Pierpont highlighted a recent rise in appropriation requests, noting that total requests increased from $23,254 in FY22 to $41,254 in FY27. Pierpont said the Planning Commission and Lister budgets were not yet included in the version reviewed on Dec. 6 and anticipated those figures in time for the Dec. 15 meeting, where the board expects to finalize the FY27 proposed budget. The Sharon Fire Department plans to send a representative to the Dec. 15 meeting to present its funding requests.
The Recreation Department asked whether the Ice Rink Committee could be folded under town oversight; Shipman will follow up with Recreation and/or the Ice Rink Committee to clarify expectations. Selectboard Vice Chair Kevin Gish noted the Sprouty event operates under PTO fiscal sponsorship while carrying its own event insurance as an example of how community events can be administered.
The board recessed briefly during the meeting and reconvened to continue deliberations. The Selectboard will meet again on Dec. 15 to receive outstanding line items and consider any final changes to the FY27 budget.
