The Finance Committee of Representative Town Meeting approved the following resolution at its 18 December meeting:
The Finance Committee is concerned that the Selectboard was unwilling to consider staff cuts during its December 17 discussion for reducing the FY26 budget, relying instead on cuts to services and deferrals to FY27. The Finance Committee calls upon the Selectboard to instruct the Town Manager to present to the Selectboard a list of potential staff cuts to consider for FY26 at its next meeting. We recognize that the concept of staff cuts is painful, but we believe that considering it is an essential part of the responsible management of the Town.
The Finance Committee is also deeply concerned about the lack of a long-term financial plan. In the interim, we call upon the Selectboard to identify cuts and deferrals made during its December 17 meeting that are anticipated to reappear in the FY27 budget. We would like to see this list before the FY26 budget is approved. Ideally, a pro forma budget for FY27 should be included while the FY26 budget is being considered.
