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Finance update: town covers PA for Fourth events; after‑school program readied, online payments pending
Summary
Town finance staff reported the after‑school program is set up and received checks, clarified that the PA and porta‑potty costs for Fourth of July celebrations are budgeted under existing PA and porta‑let lines, and said online tax‑payment onboarding is underway with a third‑party fee. The town will continue to review payroll and tax billing details.
Town finance staff gave the Selectboard a multi‑point update on town finances and program administration. The report clarified that the $4,000 line for the Fourth of July was intended to cover event needs such as porta‑potties and PA use, and that the town’s PA budget covers both town meeting and Fourth of July PA needs. The treasurer also said the porta‑lette charges should be drawn from the town’s porta‑let budget.
On program administration, the after‑school program is “pretty much all set up,” the presenter said, confirming the program has received checks. He said the group was discussing establishing a three‑person finance committee to approve expenditures for the program but noted the program’s funds are not strictly Bakersfield town funds and asked whether the town wanted to require the same three‑signer framework as town accounts. He also outlined payroll handling through QuickBooks, said the program would pay federal employer taxes from its account, and flagged a small unemployment billing the town might be asked to separate.
The board heard an update on online payments: the vendor is sending an onboarding questionnaire and the town will review maximum payment sizes and fees before rollout; the finance presenter said the service‑collected fee will not be town revenue. Board members asked for legal language and a clear notice to taxpayers that the town remains responsible for on‑time payments even if technical issues occur during an online transaction.
The board also reviewed preliminary property tax numbers pending final lister figures; the finance presenter said he marked the draft appropriately as non‑final and will bring final numbers for signatures after the listers complete grievances.
