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Weathersfield committee approves $80,000 in FY26 firefighter stipends, folds funding into general fund
Summary
The Weathersfield Fire Department Committee voted to allocate $80,000 for FY26 personnel stipends and to include the funding in the general fund rather than a special article, citing transparency; the motion passed "All in Favor."
The Town of Weathersfield Fire Department Committee voted to allocate $80,000 for personnel stipends in the proposed FY26 budget and approved option #2 to fund the stipends. The motion to approve option #2 was made by Josh Compo and seconded by Michael Spaulding; the transcript records the outcome as "All in Favor."
Committee members reviewed five funding options. Options 2 and 3 were described in the discussion as effectively identical and included about $20,000 drawn from the fund balance; options 4 and 5 would have placed the stipends in special articles. Committee members raised concerns that using fund balance could create a tax gap in the following year. The transcript notes that the current use of fund balance represents about 3% of the overall budget.
The committee concluded that incorporating stipends into the general fund would provide better transparency in budget presentations than creating a special article. As recorded in the minutes, the budget committee passed the motion to adopt option #2.
