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Council tackles budget gap; staff propose transfers and new modest fees to shore up operations
Summary
Interim manager and staff outlined budget moves to cover a reported $2 million deficit, including requesting the return of about $1.277 million in unspent appropriations to the police account, and proposed revenue options such as a $5 trash fee, a modest fire-hydrant fee and other user fees. Fire territory finances and capital shortfalls were highlighted as urgent concerns.
Interim Town Manager (introduced in the meeting) and finance staff walked council through a budget status that included a reported deficit figure from recent earlier work and a plan to reappropriate unspent prior-year appropriations back into the police account (about $1,277,000) to avoid operational shortfalls. Clerk-Treasurer Sherry told the council the general fund is about "5 months in the red" but that a June 30 tax deposit just shy of $4,500,000 will provide temporary relief.
Council and staff discussed potential revenue options to stabilize budgets and capital needs: a modest municipal trash fee (examples cited: $5 as a pilot, possibly $10 in future), a fire-hydrant fee (staff cited an estimate under $4/month), an expanded probation user fee, PILOT approaches and other targeted charges. Fire leadership warned the fire territory had ended 2025 in a negative balance (initially about $190,000) and staff said current shortfalls approach $2.8 million before June deposits; council members asked staff to model the revenue options and scope the community messaging before any formal ordinance or vote.
