Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board hears staff explain model budget: most CFA funds would pay salaries and consultants
Summary
Staff told the Hillsdale board that the CFA application includes a model budget with line items for salaries, consultant fees and administrative time, and that modern consultant rates justify requesting more than the $40k–$60k amounts typical a decade ago.
Board members pressed staff on how a successful CFA award would be spent and whether the town could hire a consultant without state funding.
Staff said the application contains a model budget and that "most of it" would go to salary, with some money covering administrative time in town hall. She explained she contacted planners across the state to price the consulting line and that older benchmarks ($40,000–$60,000) are no longer realistic for experienced consultants.
"The line item, it's it's getting salary, rates, and all of these details," the staff member said, noting the application is a model that the board could revise if awarded. Board members agreed the town could independently hire help but that the grant would provide financial capacity to secure higher-quality consultants.
Staff asked the board to submit concrete redlines, and offered to include documented consultant outreach in the application to justify the requested amount.
