FY2027 Budget Given Voice Approval
The final budget calls for a 12 percent increase in needed tax revenue because the town budget is 8.1 percent higher and expected non-tax revenues are way down. Details, documents and poll.
(Note: The full video of the meeting is shared with permission of Media Factory.)
The Record Staff
The FY2027 Hinesburg budget will require a 12 percent increase in tax revenue.
On Wednesday (Jan. 14) the selectboard gave its informal OK to the operating and capital budgets which are 8.1 percent higher than this year’s budget. However, expected non-tax revenues are expected to be more than $100,000 lower – in large part because Richmond will no longer be reimbursing the town for police services as the agreement has ended.
Town Manager Todd Odit projected that homeowners with homes valued at $600,000 should expect to pay $2,492 for the town’s share of the tax bill. The anticipated school taxes would be approximately $9,300, Odit said. (The average value of a Hinesburg home – including mobile homes and condos – is about $575,000.)
The budget as it stands contains revisions requested by the selectboard at its last meeting. Here are the major items and changes in what looks to be a final budget:
One additional full-time firefighter/EMT to increase coverage of the station to 24/6; reduce the number of emergency calls that Hinesburg Fire Department cannot handle (109 in 2025); reduce response times; and provide more mentoring for on-call firefighters.
One additional police officer to begin in January 2027 (halfway through the fiscal year) which would bring full-time staffing to six officers, including the chief, to handle increased call volume and cover the town on weekends and evenings. This is the same staffing level as 2022 but only a third of the 2022 level of hours for part-time officers to fill in or handle extra duties.
An additional six hours added to the existing part-time planning/zoning administrative assistant position, with 12-16 hours shared with the town clerk’s office.
Zero funding of land preservation ($7,500) given that $28,000 is in the reserve fund for that purpose; and
No Fourth of July fireworks given a 65 percent increase in the cost to $20,000.
The board had little disagreement or discussion as Odit led the board through the changes they had requested. Retired police chief Frank Koss (now a volunteer with the fire department) and Fire Chief Prescott Nadeau were on hand to answer questions.
To see detailed coverage of the budget deliberations, click here. To see the overview of latest changes, click the .pdf below to read or download:
At the end of the discussion, or what they thought was the end, selectboard member Maggie Gordon said, “I feel pretty OK about it,” which seemed to reflect the mood of the board in this difficult budget year. The board has faced three opposing forces: A neglected need to address staff shortages and increase volume of requests; anticipated growth in the community and need for services; and residents’ concerns about the rising cost of living on top of sharp increases in property taxes.
Selectboard member Paul Lamberson acknowledged the residents’ feedback – mostly in emails – at Wednesday’s meeting: “I want to thank everyone who’s reached out and provided input so far,” he said. “Now is the time that it’s best received, that we can do something with [the feedback].”
But he took issue with one person who suggested that the board “level fund” the budget, meaning pass a budget with zero increase. Lamberson noted that first, costs beyond the town’s control are rising and second, additional services are both needed and called for by residents. “I’m not comfortable with” no increase, he said, “because we’re trying to address shortcomings we’ve had and anticipate having as new housing comes online.”
It turned out that the person who made the suggestion was attending the meeting via Zoom. He identified himself as Timothy Clancy and engaged the board – mostly Lamberson and chair Merrily Lovell – in a 10-minute debate saying, in summary:
“We have, as taxpayers, been subjected to significant tax increases that have been significantly above what I think most people would expect for income increases,” he said. “I heard nothing in tonight’s meeting about what was so compelling [that warrants] jacking up our taxes by three or four hundred bucks.”
“You can’t just be at zero [increase[ every year,” said Lovell, using, as an analogy, maintaining a home. “Every year you need to put money into fixing the roof, fixing the floors that are in need of repair and maybe a new paint job. The town is on a bigger level.”
After more back and forth, the debate was ended and the board moved on. The board will meet again next Wednesday to take a final vote on the budget and again the following week to warn the budget for the March 3 election.
Below is a .pdf of the budget as it stood on Jan. 14:
Poll
If you are a subscriber to the Hinesburg Record online, sign in (upper right hand corner on the site) and tell us how you’d vote on the town budget.
In other action …
The board approved two contracts to construct a pavilion on the Town Common totaling approximately $120,000, all of which will be paid for by private donations – no town money.
