Selectmen review proposed fiscal 2027 budget; staff flag unresolved second position

At a special meeting Tuesday, the Selectmen opened a review of the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget, with a committee member saying staff will present highlights and that several items in the draft have been reduced.

"This culminates from last year when the board requested prior to reconciliation meeting, having a kind of an overview with each of you, which seems very, very, appropriate," the committee member said, adding that "Jody and I, predominantly Jody tonight, will be able to go through a fair amount of the budget and talk about some of the highlights, and where we were and where we are." The committee member also said "extremely appreciable items have been reduced" and raised a staffing question: "The second position ... we're not sure how we want to entitle that position."

The remarks framed the meeting as a staff-led briefing rather than a final vote. The committee member characterized the session as a follow-up to last year's direction that board members receive a line-by-line overview before any reconciliation or formal decisions. The staff member referenced by name in the discussion, Jody, was identified as the presenter who will lead the review of budget highlights.

No motions or formal votes were recorded in the provided transcript excerpt; the board moved into a staff presentation of budget details for further discussion. The committee member's reference to a "second position" did not include a title, salary, or implementation timeline in the transcript and remains undecided based on the remarks in these segments.

The meeting continued into the staff-led budget review, with further detail expected from Jody and other staff speakers in subsequent segments.