BRATTLEBORO — Two months after rejecting a municipal budget for the first time in town history, residents have finally agreed on a 2025-26 spending plan — but not before trying two more times to amend it.
“I don’t think anyone’s thrilled with it,” resident Tom Franks said at a special Town Meeting that approved a $24.9 million budget Tuesday night. But after months of setbacks and surprises, Franks told more than 100 attendees at Brattleboro Union High School, “We need to pass it as is and move on.”
Residents defeated an initial $25 million plan in March, telling the town selectboard its proposed 12.1% tax increase for the fiscal year starting July 1 was too high.
Local leaders went back to the drawing board, only to discover their budget underestimated contracted expenses such as payroll taxes, retirement contributions and overtime. That forced them to raise the bottom line by $426,732 before cutting a half-million dollars, resulting in a revised proposal about $200,000 lower than the original.
Residents wrestled for two hours Tuesday over the latest plan, which will still require a double-digit percentage tax hike of 10.8%.
The meeting began with a call to add $43,045 to restore a municipal sustainability coordinator job to full time instead of part time. Supporters expressed hope that an employee working more hours could generate more grant money, while opponents noted the need to reduce the budget.
“The taxpayers are screaming and they want you to listen,” resident Dick DeGray said against raising the total, even if only by a small sum.
After 45 minutes of debate, residents defeated the request in a 71-53 vote. Residents then considered a call to cut the plan by almost $1 million, which would limit spending to 4% over the current budget.
“There needs to be some brakes on the system,” resident Robert Oeser said.
But townspeople overwhelmingly defeated a 4% limit in a voice vote before finally approving the selectboard’s latest plan by a 110-4 margin.
Tuesday’s endorsement came six months after local leaders learned that continuing to fund all current services amid rising staff counts and trash disposal costs would trigger a 22% tax increase as of July 1. The selectboard voted this winter to retain all personnel and instead decrease or defer other spending, only for residents to reject the plan in March and call for revisions.
Local leaders found savings by keeping several empty posts vacant, including assistant town manager and information technology coordinator.
The selectboard — anticipating fire department overtime could rise to up to $700,000 or more annually because of recurring vacancies and contract requirements — added three more firefighters in hopes their regular salaries would cost less than paying existing personnel to work higher-priced extra hours.
