BRATTLEBORO-Facing a 22% municipal property tax hike this coming fiscal year, town leaders have suggested lowering expenses through everything from curbing office-supply purchases to closing the public pool.
But the eight-resident Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee is questioning why officials aren't slicing into the biggest percentage of the budget pie: personnel.
Municipal leaders in Vermont's 247 cities and towns, now drafting 2025-26 budget proposals for March Town Meeting consideration, are reporting challenges with costlier health insurance, continuing 2023 and 2024 flood cleanup, and the need to mitigate projected school property tax increases averaging 5.9%.
Amid the struggle to balance local wants and wallets before this month's submission deadline, officials in Brattleboro are receiving public pushback.
The Selectboard considered an initial $3 million list of potential cuts after discovering the town's proposed $25 million base budget for fiscal year 2026 would spark an estimated 22% tax increase.
But the proposal didn't suggest any staff reductions and included management raises as high as 9%, prompting the RTM Finance Committee to issue a rare public resolution.
"The Finance Committee is concerned that the Selectboard was unwilling to consider staff cuts," the statement began, "relying instead on cuts to services and deferrals to [fiscal year 2027]."
The advisory committee wants leaders to present a list of potential employee reductions during continuing budget-drafting sessions this month and a "long-term financial plan" before the March vote.
"We recognize that the concept of staff cuts is painful," it said in the resolution, "but we believe that considering it is an essential part of the responsible management of the town."
$2 million in cuts
In response to the letter, at its Jan. 7 meeting, the Selectboard supported 41 of the nearly 60 reductions or revenue increases presented to the board in December. Board members said it would reduce the FY26 budget by $2 million and reduce the property tax increase to 12%.
Under personnel, the board supported reducing a cost of living allowance for town staff to 3%, reducing non-union wage step increases by 1%, postponing the hiring for the emergency services data analyst position, and suspending vacation buybacks for department heads for FY26.
The board, however, declined to cut any town positions.
Also supported were increased planning department permit fees, raising non-resident fees for a library card at Brooks Memorial Library, and applying money generated by skate rentals at Withington Rink toward operating costs.
Other proposals included using grant savings for capital projects, retiring a note on a fire engine early, eliminating equipment purchases in the assessor's office, and reducing the office supplies budget for town departments.
Several projects were proposed for reductions, delays, or deferrals in the FY26 budget, including records restoration in the town clerk's office, stormwater system upgrades, and maintenance and repairs at Brooks Memorial Library and the Municipal Center.
The Kiwanis Shelter roof project at Living Memorial Park was recommended for removal, as well as reducing the traffic safety budget and eliminating the Town Arts Fund.
"This is a budget that would provide over 240 essential and quality of life municipal services that people value," Town Manager John Potter said at the Jan. 7 meeting.
Town staff will be incorporating these proposals into a new draft of the FY26 budget, which is expected to be finalized at the Jan. 21 board meeting and voted upon at March's Representative Town Meeting.
With additional reporting from Commons news editor Randolph T. Holhut.
This News item by Kevin O'Connor originally appeared in VTDigger and was republished in The Commons with permission.