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Town manager proposes tax increases and a new 0.2 police officer in 2026 draft budget
Summary
Manager Matt presented a first-pass 2026 budget calling for modest tax increases (real estate ~4.5%, certain personal-property increases, water rates +3%) to fund a 0.2 police officer, COLAs and capital projects; council scheduled a work session for April 14.
Town manager Matt presented the town’s first-pass 2026 budget packet and framed the three primary goals: produce a balanced budget, fund a 0.2 full-time-equivalent police officer, and provide modest cost-of-living adjustments for staff.
Matt said the draft relies on a real estate tax increase from 24.2 to 25.3 (about 4.5%) and changes to personal-property rates (non-vehicle property from $2.10 to $2.29, or ~9%; passenger vehicle tags up about 3%). Water rates are proposed to rise by 3%. On staffing, Matt estimated a new police officer’s fully loaded cost (salary, benefits and academy) at roughly $100,000: "A new police officer costs us roughly $91,000 plus the equipment and the uniforms and the supplies… by the time it gets through all that, it's about… a $100,000" (Matt).
Council members probed specific line items, including administrative wage transpositions, the marina page omission from the packet, and how much reserve funds would be used to cover one-time capital items. Matt explained the five-year CIP and reserve impacts and said the town maintains a sizable reserve balance (multiple millions) that covers the proposed carryovers. He also noted potential efficiency gains from meter upgrades and HRSD cellular reads that reduce staff time.
Council set an April 14 work session and public hearing to give members and stakeholders more time to evaluate the packet before any formal votes on tax rates or staffing.
