Select board reviews budget; municipal assessments rise about 3.25% amid $300,000 lake project

The Litchfield select board reviewed its draft budget and warrant language and discussed municipal assessments that have increased about 3.25% this year. A trustee told the board the town’s share of a large lake-treatment project — part of a roughly $300,000 effort at Cochran Wagon Lake — includes a $175,000 contribution from a partner municipality.

Town staff said the warrant has been edited to reflect emails and that the public hearing may prompt further numeric changes; the board agreed that budget line items and warrant articles must align. "you have that for the public hearing that you not only get to the budget everything should coincide with each other," a staff member said, urging trustees to flag discrepancies before publication.

Trustees discussed reserve accounting and capital planning for future purchases, noting the town faces several multi-year obligations. Board members emphasized that numeric items in the warrant may be adjusted before the town meeting if the public hearing produces input, and they asked staff to confirm figures before the warrant goes to print.