Town Begins FY23 Budget Planning and Virtual Meetings Are Open to All

Interested in learning more about town government? A good way to start is by joining the town’s budget planning meetings for FY2023. These meetings  get under way Feb. 1, via Zoom, and the public is invited to participate, ask questions and become informed.

The Finance Committee and Selectboard will hold a series of joint budget meetings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Feb. 1, 2, 8 and 9 to begin assembling next year’s spending plans. The Feb. 1 meeting is at 7 p.m. and the others are all at 6 p.m. 

A public hearing on the complete proposed FY23 budget is set for Tuesday, March 1.

During each of its budget meetings, the two boards take up specific town departments’ operating budgets. So, for instance, residents who are interested in parks or highway projects, libraries, public safety or capital planning can decide which meetings to join.

The public is invited to check the agenda for each session on the the town calendar. Meeting log-in information is included in the calendar events.

Town Manager Mark Pruhenski said this will be the second year in a row that the town has held its budget planning sessions virtually. Last year the Zoom format (adopted due to Covid-19) drew more meeting attendees than the usual in-person meetings of years past.

“Last year more people in town were better informed about how our town spends taxpayer money,” said Pruhenski. “While the budget is subject to Annual Town Meeting approval, that meeting runs more smoothly when more people have prepared by joining one or all of our meetings.”

At the March 1 public hearing, the Finance Committee and Selectboard will take a vote to recommend the FY23 spending plan.