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Select Board frames 2027 budget priorities around TIF projects, Oak Grove Road and staff training
Summary
During a strategic-planning-informed discussion, board members urged using TIF funds for walkability projects in the TIF district, prioritizing the sewer fund deficit and Oak Grove Road stabilization engineering, and committing resources to staff development and renewable-energy planning ahead of the 2027 budget writing process.
Select Board discussion of 2027 budget priorities began with a call to align departmental budget requests with the new strategic plan. Select Board member Eric (speaker 5) proposed using TIF funds to improve walkability in the TIF area—particularly between Route 4 and the post office—and asked that the town investigate a plan for sidewalks and calming measures. He also urged accounting for operating-cost inflation in departmental budgets.
Other board members echoed the need to invest TIF and CIP money deliberately. One member raised concerns about the sewer fund deficit and urged the board to plan to pay down that liability. Oak Grove Road — a riverside segment that is at risk of bank collapse — was identified as requiring engineering and earlier action; the board discussed funding it from CIP rather than TIF. Members also supported modest investments in staff development and training to improve organizational capacity, and asked the manager to collect formal budget priorities for the budget committee.
