Millicent Cooley chairs the Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee, on whose behalf she sent this analysis. Other members of the committee include Ernie Coughlin, David Levenbach, John Lightfoot, Nell Mayo, and Trish Twining. See the committee’s work at brattleboro.gov/finance-committee.
BRATTLEBORO-The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee offers some preliminary observations about the proposed FY27 budget that begins July 1. These comments apply to the initial version of the budget proposed by the Town Manager.
The Selectboard will discuss and then possibly revise a proposed version of the budget prior to Town Meeting, where the budget will be presented for ratification by voters.
Links to the proposed General Fund budget, along with supporting resources for understanding this year’s budget-related issues and decisions referred to below, are found on a Google doc, “FY27 Budget and finance planning resources.”
* * *
Budget process and planning: The General Fund Budget document appears in a new format. Employee benefits (a significant expense) used to appear as an independent category of expenses, and now appear within each department in order to better account for the true cost of operating each department.
We think that this is a beneficial change; however, it makes prior-year comparisons more difficult. We think that the public will be shown additional data during this budget season to allow year-over-year comparison of overall town benefits costs.
The Selectboard has held reviews of all the town department budgets during open meetings between Nov. 4, 2025, and Jan. 6. The board provided its first comments about the proposed budget from the town manager at the Jan. 13 Selectboard meeting, and this has started a phase of budget planning that will result in a (possibly revised) version of the budget proposed by the Selectboard.
* * *
Core budget documents: The five-year Capital Investment Plan shows a projection of future equipment and project costs. However, this document does not show fund balances, so it is not possible to see to what degree the town is saving the monies needed for those upcoming purchases. We hope to see that information before the final version of the proposed budget is completed.
There is no long-term General Fund budget, which has been repeatedly requested. A long-term financial plan was prepared and maintained until several years ago. The purpose of this type of plan is to help the town to plan for our financial future and to envision the consequences of current financial decisions.
The annual financial audit report contains an independent expert review of the town’s fiscal health and legal compliance. This report is required every year, in accordance with state statute and with our town charter.
In past years this has been completed by October or early November, with a legal deadline from the state of 10 days prior to Town Meeting.
So far, the town has been unable to find an auditor.
* * *
FY27 budget overview: The proposed FY27 budget shows an increase in overall General Fund spending of 7.9% and with a corresponding 4.4% increase in municipal property taxes. Note the school tax is a separate component of municipal property taxes.
The column heading “FY27 TM Budget” (column G) is the proposed budget from the Town Manager. These numbers incorporate the recent change to the Cigna health care provider for the town.
The column heading “FY27 Dept Budget” (column F) are the amounts suggested by departments.
The town is negotiating four new union contracts, and the results are likely to impact the budget salary and benefit calculations. New union terms will be effective at the start of FY27 (July 1).
* * *
Budget items: Projected increases in revenues rely on, among other things, an increase in EMS revenue and pay-as-you-throw trash bag revenue, and both of those calculations should be analyzed for realism.
Members of the Finance Committee are concerned that some expenses are underestimated and some revenues are overestimated.
Projected expenses include 6.7 full-time-equivalent new employees (FTEs) for the finance, fire, dispatch, public works, recreation and parks, and library departments. The continues a trend of adding FTEs to the town budget every year in recent years.
Health care provided to town employees has been moved from Vermont Blue to CIGNA to minimize cost increases. Health care, along with other benefits, continues to be a financial challenge.
The budget calls for the implementation of a new trash disposal program in which the town vendor Casella will pick up recycling and trash, and a new department will be created within the Public Works organization to pick up compost. This new Public Works Department will require additional people, expenses, and long-term capital expenses.
Several types of items may be underfunded in the Capital Investment Plan, including DPW equipment, fire engines, and roads. Note that the planned investment in road infrastructure will result in continued town road degradation. (See the Public Works presentation, pages 58–61, of the Dec. 2, 2025, Selectboard meeting materials, on roads and sidewalks infrastructure needs at bit.ly/849-public-works.)
The Fire Department requests two additional Fire/EMS personnel to move to an average 42-hour work week through the use of a fourth platoon. Many current positions remain unfilled.
The Human Services allocation is 1% for FY27 versus 2% for the FY26 budget.
* * *
Now is the chance for any resident of the town to go through the budget and make your voice heard on the budget items that you want added or cut.
You can contact Selectboard members, attend Selectboard meetings, and ask the Town Manager’s office to place your name on the email list to be notified of Selectboard meetings.
The “FY27 Budget and finance planning resources” Google Doc provides links to the various documents and presentations for understanding this year’s budget.
The Finance Committee will make a more detailed and final report by the end of February.
This Voices Viewpoint was submitted to The Commons.
This piece, published in print in the Voices section or as a column in the news sections, represents the opinion of the writer. In the newspaper and on this website, we strive to ensure that opinions are based on fair expression of established fact. In the spirit of transparency and accountability, The Commons is reviewing and developing more precise policies about editing of opinions and our role and our responsibility and standards in fact-checking our own work and the contributions to the newspaper. In the meantime, we heartily encourage civil and productive responses at voices@commonsnews.org.