Finance Committee Minutes 1/6/21

January 6, 2021

Finance Committee Meeting conducted via zoom

Present :  Jon Sylbert, Rebecca Wolin, and Michele Miller

Other attendees:  Don Clauson, Michael Johnson, John Weingold, Melissa, Abby, John Weingold

he main focus of this meeting was to discuss the finance committees budget process

Jon had requested that the following departments be reviewed in public.

Selectboard,

Town Hall,

Police

Transfer Station

DPW

Library

Parks and Rec

Community Center

Library

Building

Council on Aging

Participant asked why is the select board involved – Jon answered that legally the budget should be prepared and presented at the town meeting.  The select board in the past has usually worked well with this process, not so this year with the chair.  The other select board members will work with the finance committee as in past years

Jon requested that we meet every week  publically with the departments listed.  5 pm Wednesdays was agreed on.

Rebecca spoke about total budget increase to be as flat as possible if not decrease and that includes with other warrants.  Currently most of the departments are at 1-2% raise, DPW is at 6.5% and the fire department would like a 20% increase.

Rebecca mentioned that the fire department is using covid funds to pay for a program that was not approved in the 20/21 budget.  These funds can not be put into the operating budget because then it was fraud using covid money.  Rebecca stated she felt this was immoral.